Disconnect
by IdrewAcow
Summary: Things are simple. Easy. As far as the Vocaloids are concerned, every day is the same, and they have been for at least ten years. Fortunately, nothing lasts forever, and Miku manages to break through the spell. Now it's up to her to decide: stay and play the part, pretend everything is alright, or go and risk living as an android among humans? Eventual Negitoro, KaiMei, Gumi/Lily.
1. Prologue

**Hello! Here's a bit of a long story. It'll be a little more relaxed, a little more messy than my other more recent works, but I'd like to share it regardless. Most importantly, it's a gift to the most talented beta-reader, and now one of my dearest friends, Kokodoru!**

 **This story will update either on a weekly or bi-monthly basis, depending on how chaotic life gets.**

* * *

Humans are fickle. Even the best, most skilled individuals, those who shine the brightest in the spotlight, blessed with talent, honed by determination, are miserably irrational. Their emotions drive them to make reckless decisions. These decisions not only affect their health, their friendships or even their skills but those affiliated with them. An artist who, on a whim, changes their style and loses all of their credibility, jeopardizes their sponsors. A singer who gets addicted to drugs would stop performing, costing the label, associated artists, and themselves millions of dollars. An athlete who, in the heat of the moment, injures a limb beyond repair, also break their future, as well as their managers', their teammates', their brands'.

Humans cannot be trusted.

There's also their unstoppable desire to being able to think and believe. Everything from political to religious beliefs expressed by an individual creates a divide in the public. Those who cannot separate the art from the artist stop paying attention, stop buying the merchandise, which creates even more loss. Those who think that free speech must be practiced without restraint tell poor jokes, make insensitive comments, and further jeopardize the income.

Humans cannot be trusted.

This was seen by many, and eventually, the idea trickled up to the biggest heads at one of the biggest labels. Humans create loss. Humans create opposition. If they could create something perfect, something who only performs with no care of personal opinions, with no desire to express a belief, yet be something close enough to 'someone' for people to care, then there would be no loss. Even if they were to invest millions into the production of such things, it would pay for itself within a couple of years, at most.

And so, brainstorming and production began.

Meiko and Kaito were the first. Originally mere test models, made only to determine the exact limits of modern science, they were nonetheless such a hit that more had to be made. Sure, everybody loved the mature, sexy voices and picture-perfect bodies, but if they could go further, then why not? There's always another kind of idol that people want to listen to, that people want to see. Miku followed, cute and energetic. The twins, Rin and Len, for those who wanted more familial bonds among these creations, followed soon after. Feedback within the year soon called for another mature character, more feminine than Meiko but more adult than Miku and Rin. Finally, Luka joined the gang.

At first, some feared that those machines would not please, for what good is a singer who could not feel? But the illusion was flawless: by programming emotions into their songs, they copied the proper inflexions, growls, and sighs effortlessly. The group was perfect. Their performances were perfect. Their appearances were perfect. They never grew tired, they never complained, they never wished for anything else. The technology was sublime: self-fixing during sleep, they could recharge their energy via a regular run-of-the-mill outlet or by consuming food. Unfortunately, since they were perfect, it couldn't be helped that some people would approach them, some with ill intent. Those who wished to touch them were pushed back forcefully until help arrived, or until the situation escalated, warranting the same counter-measure reserved for those who wished to break them. They couldn't easily be harmed.

They were perfect.

For their safety, the six machines were kept in a large manor. Protected by the smartest AI defense system available, nobody could get in or out of the building. This was to prevent them from getting close to people and possibly being led down a different path. After all, they were smart, to a certain degree. They understood words, what they sang, understood what constitutes as 'normal' and 'abnormal'. But conversation and interaction could make them doubt the perfection of their life. They would probably do something stupid if someone were to encourage them. For similar reasons, no decisions were left to them. They had no creative liberty. Their food was supplied automatically, and dinner had to be prepared according to a menu. Songs weren't composed by them, they were provided. The entire day would go by on a schedule, giving each unit working hours and downtime in such a way that they had the illusion of socializing with one another, without getting distracted. By letting them have 'free' time, by letting them 'work' and have dinner together, they would never go and search for anything else. And why would they? They didn't possess curiosity, they didn't dream. They didn't love and they didn't hate. They merely understood the concepts, were allowed to think they could live as other people did, and went on, being perfect. As such, they could live, forever, eternally young and perfect, thinking that their life was ideal, productive, and rewarding, without ever smiling for an unknown reason, without ever having an emotional outburst.

What nobody realized was that, even though they made machines incapable of feeling, they had made them just barely smart enough to be able to notice exactly what they were missing.


	2. Something Died that Day

**Here's the official first chapter! It's a bit short, so hopefully I'll be upload the next one next week, and not later.**

 **Kokodoru did the editing, as always.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The alarm rings at 8:00. Miku gets up and approaches her closet. The display tells her what she is to wear that day, which she obediently puts on. Then, she heads downstairs for breakfast at 8:07. Meiko and Kaito, who get up much earlier and share breakfast time, are nowhere to be seen. Luka is always putting her own dishes away by the time Miku enters the kitchen. They greet one another, politely and briefly, and Miku walks up to the fridge. The display there not only indicates the contents of the entire kitchen, but it tells each individual Vocaloid what they may eat. For Miku, that day, it was a bowl of fruit and cereal with milk.

She prepares her breakfast accordingly, sits down at the table, and eats. The meal may last up to 15 minutes, but usually, she doesn't take so long. When she is done, she puts her dishes in the dishwasher, and on her way upstairs, she crosses the Kagamine twins who are on their way to their breakfast.

From 8:30 until 12:00, Miku is to sing in recording booth 3. On a productive day with shorter songs, she gets upwards of 35 songs done. Rarely, she is also asked to play the guitar or the piano.

At noon, things start changing. Some Vocaloids, depending on the day, are requested to come to the studio for filming. If that is the case, those concerned leave in a single car which provides them electric charge, arrive at the studio not ten minutes later and listen to whatever the Director may have to say. That day, Miku was not requested to film, so she stayed at home, with Kaito and Meiko. Then, like almost every other day, they start to cook lunch, which is also indicated on the display. Cooking always lasts less than 45 minutes, and the food must be eaten within 15 minutes. Afterwards, they go back to the recording booths.

Miku is given a break at 15:00. This break is always half an hour long, and is spent alone. She may walk around the living room, turn on the TV to watch any of 6 prescribed channels, or sit and rest.

That day, Miku was sitting and resting. She was sitting in the middle of the couch in the living room and was looking outside. They have a large garden, surrounded by bushes and trees and, placed just out of sight, the best automated security system money and power could afford. The grass is always cut to perfection, the trees are always big and healthy, providing the perfect amount of shade.

That day was a day like every other.

Except something died in their garden.

Miku noticed immediately but didn't react. It was obvious, of course. Not the body itself, but the group of black crows that had crowded around it, flapping wildly, pecking and pulling and cawing and fighting. They were eating, much like how Kaito, Meiko, and Miku had been eating about three hours prior. It was a late lunch for the birds, which Miku observed, effortlessly.

It was almost a challenge to not look at the birds. They were black. Dark black. They had small black eyes and big black beaks, speckled with the red of the body's flesh. Their little bodies pulled at the meat, their large mouths opened to caw at their brothers. Their flaps were quick, their movements rushed.

They stood out on that green lawn. Always so calm and quiet and green, now there was movement, death, and hunger.

Miku watched from her couch. A glass pane separated them, but it didn't drown out the loud noise of their voices. She listened to their ugly song, she watched the shreds of meat disappear down their throats. She observed how they moved, how they tugged, how they flapped.

Her only thought was that she would watch them eat for her entire break.

Suddenly, appearing almost from nowhere, a bigger, heavier bird flew in and landed right on the body. The group of crows flew back in surprise, but also anger.

Anger.

They cawed and cawed, while the imposter immediately started pulling huge chunks from the body. Its golden beak stained red within seconds, its talons disappeared into the mass of fur and bone, and the crows protested. They approached the intruder, pulling at its wing feathers, poking at its legs, but the giant did nothing. It merely continued eating while the attacks from the black birds became more violent, more frenetic, more desperate. The larger bird pulled away a strip of meat and dropped it, a little ways away from the body, but not out of reach. One of the crows, decidedly the largest, nervously hopped close and stretched its neck to get that one tasty morsel.

Miku stood.

Just as the crow's beak closed around the treat, the giant lunged forward and closed his beak around the poor black bird's neck. It cawed awfully, its wings beating the air, in vain. Its brothers and sisters flew around frantically, seemingly undecided between intervening, saving their friend and their lunch, or abandoning it all. The attacker didn't give them much time to decide: with a few shakes of its head, the crow hung twisted and dead, its form similar to the already half-eaten body below it.

Miku approached, put her hands on the glass, as the crows flew away, cawing angrily, sadly.

The giant put the second body down and continued its meal.

Its movements were slower than the crows'. More deliberate. Stronger. It patiently carved the meat from the bones, tore away the fur, calmly savoring its victory. Its brown feathers shone in the sun's light, turning them almost golden. Sometimes, it would look around for other competitors, but the crows were far away, cawing their throats out from the trees. But they didn't dare approach. Nothing else dared approach. And it knew it. Its gaze, piercing and intimidating, went around almost as if it were a leisure, a luxury, and not as if the bird's survival, or meal, depended on his ability to detect others. It enjoyed its strength and freedom, fully so. It even let its eyes rest on Miku who stared back, unmoving, before returning to its catch.

Finally, the first body was finished. Picked clean. The giant looked around one last time, picked up the little body, a speck of night, and flew away, its large wings beating the air, commanding it to lift it up, high and away.

"Miku?"

The tealette whirled around, finding Rin and Len standing in the hall. The clock that hung by the kitchen told her that she'd overstayed her break by a full half hour.

She was late.

She apologized.

She went back to work.

Between 15:30 and 18:00 she sings up to 25 songs. At 18:00, it's dinnertime. Those who would have gone to the studio are back by then. They cook the prescribed dinner and eat together. They don't talk. When dinner is done, by 20:00 at the latest, they all go and sit in the living room. They watch TV or read any of the books that are available. They can look outside.

That day, Miku kept looking at the little pile of bones in the garden, which nobody else seemed to notice.

The next day, it was gone.

But Miku looked anyway.


	3. Want and Fear

**A little bit late again, but I haven't forgotten! Here's a bit of a longer chapter, beta-read by Kokodoru.**

 **For those who want a bigger dose of daily negitoro, Jak656 and I have created a Discord server! Whether you write, draw, compose or just like negitoro, you're welcome to join; just send either of us a PM. :)**

* * *

Something changed, that day. But it is hard to say what, exactly, spurred that change. Was is the evident bond between the crows, the distress at the loss of one of their friends? Was it the brutal entry of the giant, the effortless theft of both a meal and a life? Was it the way they moved, from the nervous hops to the confident dispatching? Or was it merely watching them fly away?

Whatever it was, Miku knew that she had seen 55'850 days, remembered precisely 3'650 of them, all the exact same, and that on the 55'851st day, she saw something new. For all intents and purposes, she could expect that the following hundreds of thousands of days would be like the first thousands. She had no reason to expect anything else. Anything other than normal. Anything outside of routine. If she let things be, this 55'851st day would be the highlight of her entire existence.

It didn't scare her. It couldn't scare her, not quite yet. But it did leave her mind pulling at some thoughts more than others. It did leave her hesitating for that one split-second nobody else could even detect.

It wasn't an immediate change, not by any means. And it wasn't made easy. As a Vocaloid, Miku was never consulted for her opinion. Nobody ever asked her what she thought, what she wanted. The most conversation she ever got was the occasional "Follow me, please." And when the Vocaloids had their 'social' time, they didn't even speak to one another.

Being objects, objectification was impossible, for they had never been more. Meiko and Kaito were the easiest to reify. Even if they looked like adults, by simply being machines, people could walk around them. Luka, easily the prettiest among them according to societal norms, often got some attention, but any sentence directed towards her or talking about her completely excluded any presence of identity. She would receive compliments, decorated with the pronoun 'it'. Never was she a pretty woman, or an attractive person. She was simply a beautiful machine, a gorgeous creation. The twins, meanwhile, looked enough like young teens for employees to screw up every now and then. Sometimes, somebody would call Len 'bud', or Rin 'cute', short simple phrases that allowed them to imagine, just for a second in the deepest depths of their minds, that they were regular kids. But they never got something at the same time, so when Rin was given the tiniest pass to consider herself human, Len remained where he was, anchoring her into position. They fed each other in this way, never allowing the other to break free even the smallest bit.

Miku was in a particular position. She looked too young to attract attention for her looks, yet too old to be completely overlooked or ignored. And yet, she was the most popular of them all. When she performed, almost everybody in the room would stop and watch. It was as close to being human as she could get. People looked at other people. And even if she wasn't being spoken to, people acted, whether they intended or not, as if she was one of them.

She had never picked up on that. But a week after the event with the birds, during a concert, as she sang and danced and as the camera filmed it all, she realized something that forever changed the way she thought.

As they watched her, and as she watched them, she noticed the invisible pane of glass between them. Not a real one, not a physical one, but something harder to see, harder to feel, and, possibly, harder to break. But then the question was: who is the bird, and who is watching it?

Was she the bird, singing and dancing around as the others idly watched as the show went on? Or were they the birds, even though she moved and they didn't, even though she sang and they looked on?

For a few days, she thought it was the former. The silent bystander on one side, the show on the other. She was made to be the entertainer, a singer, a dancer. She was made to be the very best, loved by all: how could those who just watched be the bird? But the math didn't add up, and a terrible truth slowly seeped between the 0's and 1's in her mind.

She was the one who watched. She was always watching, observing, seeing. But, much like the bird who had allowed his gaze to fall on her while he enjoyed his life, everybody merely spared a glance at her when she sang. Then, when the show is over, they could pick up their lunch and fly away, return to whatever else they had in life. They would disappear from her sight until she was worth seeing again, and she would watch for their return.

It made sense in an incomprehensible way. It went against so many codes wired into her mind, but it made sense. Part of her screamed that this wasn't important, that the show must go on, that she was the center of the universe and that everybody had to watch. Why else work? Why else sing? Another part retorted that, if that really was so, how is it that in a world populated by over ten billion people, over the course of 153 years, this grand total vastly outnumbered how many people had come to see her live, and those who worked with her?

She couldn't see the crows right then, nor the giant bird. So where were they? And where were the billions, yes, billions of people who had never seen her? If she is so great, the best, why wasn't everybody admiring her? If she wasn't universally loved, if she wasn't the one everybody is watching, what is everybody else watching? Where have they flown? Why are there still so many who have yet to fly into her concerts? And if so many are missing, then why do so many return?

What motivated this? Why did some choose to look back at her, through that pane of glass? If she isn't loved by all, then what pushes some to stop and watch, anyway?

She reviewed the past ten years of 'memory' she had: it went no further. And systematically, while she practiced in the studio, posing for shoots or acting for the camera, there were those who watched, and those who didn't. Among those who watched, some watched systematically, and others, less reliably so.

Among those who spared her the glance through the glass, there was always the Director, the cameramen. Their jobs demanded that they make sure that the results are flawless, and Miku's code ensured that it would be so. Retakes were seldom, and never because of a mistake on her part. Maybe the lighting needed fixing, maybe the vision was better in his head. But they always peered at her.

Then, there were the others. Somebody who had to push a cart of supplies from one room to the next, someone who needed to deliver a message to the Director, some person who was just passing through. The extras who ambled in and out of Miku's vision while she worked. Those who she saw between the backdrops, behind the crew.

Every now and then, even though they were just flying by, they would stop, and stare. They would postpone their duty, and watch. And only when the take was over, when the song was done, would they continue picking at the body.

Why?

They had other things to do. Yet they watched.

She never stopped what she did. She never got distracted by anything. If she had watched the birds, that day, it was because she was on break. She had nothing else to watch. The show had been delivered to her. What else was there to do?

Nothing. Yet they had something. And they stopped to watch.

Why?

Dozens of words raced through her mind, their definitions zipping by her. But a few stood out to her.

Motivation. Desire. To want.

To want something. To feel a need or a desire for. To wish, need, crave, demand.

They wanted to stop. They needed to. These were all words that Miku used often in her songs. She knew how to use them and what they meant. But she didn't understand it truly, the mere concept. How could a motivation exist, if it didn't come from something else? She wore the clothes she wore because the display told her to. She ate what they told her to. It was her duty. She sang when she was told to.

But those were exterior motivations. She obeys, for the code within her says that she must do so, in order to be the perfect artist. So that everybody could love her. Everybody loves her.

Yet the math had already disproved that last part. Was she not perfect, either? Or did she not require orders to be perfect?

She went through every memory file she possessed, yet couldn't find a single moment when she did something that was motivated from within. She followed, she obeyed, year after year after year until!

A few weeks prior. With the birds. Even though she had no reason to, she had stood to get closer.

Why had she done that? Was this a flaw within her? Was this good? What was it? Why? Why hadn't she noticed? She had also overstayed her break: that had never happened, either! She had almost forgotten! Why? For so many things to happen in a single day, what did it mean? Was it bad? Was it good?

Did she want it to happen again? Did she?

As the question buzzed through her mind, all of a sudden all of the noise of her existence went quiet. The constant analysis of her surroundings, temperature, wind, sounds and smells; the ongoing calculation of every single one of her movements, including momentum, balance, weight, spatial awareness, feedback of all kinds; the permanent monitoring of her inner functions, may it be her power level, her artificial hunger, any micro lesions her system may have endured in the past minute, general upkeep; all these things just disappeared. The emptiness in her mind was astounding. It was finally still. Only a single peep populated this new empty expanse.

Want.

She wanted new things to happen again. She wanted to see the unexpected. And to do the unexpected. To choose something not because somebody told her to choose it, but because she wanted to.

But she had reviewed years' worth of footage and knew already that wanting could be dangerous. The moment the want had made itself clear, something else lodged its way next to it.

Fear.

For she remembered the crying child who begged for candy, only to be scolded and pulled away by their parent. She remembered hearing "I want to see her!" followed shortly by "It's a waste of time, it's just a bot." Time and time again, people had wanted something, and they had been stopped.

She didn't want to be stopped. Yet the possibility scared her.

As her mind had gone quiet, the years' worth of footage mentally put away, two shy emotions finally alive within her, Miku never let it show. She finished the dance flawlessly, and the Director praised the crew for the good take.

Even as all this was happening in her head, she hadn't flinched once. She hadn't paused once. Nobody had noticed.

She had stepped in front of the camera merely four minutes prior. She could barely remember it until she reviewed the footage. After only a single take, she was once again escorted to another stage for yet another video.

She listened obediently, and with each consecutive order, she noticed more and more how people made her walk a narrow path. Go over here, follow me, go there, dance, stop, wait, wear this.

And she started asking herself "Do I want to go there? Do I want to follow you? Do I want to stop, wait? Do I want to wear that?" As the day went on, the mental noise from before slowly resurfaced. It had been blinded, hidden by the sudden arrival of the two emotions, but as their novelty went away, the constant analysis, measuring, watching of her environment resumed. She was once again a robot, though suddenly possessed by a strange little soul.

Despite the inner turmoil, she didn't protest. She listened all orders until 17:45, when she was escorted into the car. Once there, alone with the driver, instead of looking straight ahead, uninterested in the world of onlookers, she turned her head to the window and watched the world of birds. The moment someone noticed her again, she would listen, again.

Yet the timid peep of want never went silent, and the trembling fear never went away. They fed each other, keeping one another in check. When Miku grew bold, fear would reign her in. When there was nothing to fear, self-motivated desire manifested once again.

It was hard, though, for what Miku really wanted, was to want. Except she wanted so little. So indescribably little. With nothing inside her, no preferences and no whims, nothing fueled her desire, and never could she observe it emerge from within. The unanticipated, unexpected moment with the birds didn't return. She could observe it in others, when she visited the studio. She would see people stop to do what they wanted, such simple things: to stretch, to drink, to smile, halting their duties for a personal comfort or pleasure. Because it made them happy, because they had something important only to themselves to fix, because they wanted to make somebody else happy.

What could she want? Also, would she be allowed to? At the mansion, she couldn't move a muscle: every single room and hallway was watched by a camera. Surely, if she were to misbehave, she would be reprimanded. She wasn't sure why, exactly, but her fear was sure of it. It reasoned that she had already existed for so many years and all that time it was perfect. Surely whoever watched them would enforce such perfection. They wouldn't tolerate her newfound identity.

Yet, she wanted…!

As the contradicting thoughts burned against one another, a timid suggestion came from the back of her mind, assembled from the various ideas she had previously had, and both of her motivations combined.

She wanted, yet had to hide. She knew the cameras limited her exploration, she had to hide from them. So, why not make the cameras blind? She would still be hidden and would be given more freedom.

The suggestion made her fear roar in protest. Tamper with equipment? How dare she? What if it goes wrong? What if she's caught?

Yet want whispered: "How could we do this?"

Miku immediately remembered the diagrams of the mansion, something she had never done before, not once in her life. From the metadata attached to the file, she knew that its memory was to be triggered in case of an emergency, yet somehow, this single question had done the trick.

She immediately knew why. Emergencies were important. A life-or-death scenario. And this was important for her, just as much so.

In the depths of her mind, the manifestation of the memory rang alarm bells. How could mere emotions bypass the security system? Is something wrong? Is there an exterior danger?

But want and fear quickly drowned the complaints of her code. She analyzed the details of the diagrams, noticed that there were various rooms she had never visited. Emergency escape halls, a room stock-full of batteries, one just for computers.

The label attached to that one stuck out to her the most: it not only housed the controls for the cameras, displays and other automatic additions to the mansion, but it also housed all of the memories of the vocaloids, all 153 years for all six members.

Getting there would be difficult: the halls were also filmed. She would have to figure out a way to get to the room unnoticed. Plus, she needed a plan for when she finally arrived! Fear protested again and again at the idea, but want burned brighter still.

As the days passed, a plan tentatively put itself together. She would look at the diagrams again and again. She would try to figure out, from the various notes attached to it, how the cameras worked. Unfortunately, with every lead she pursued, an obstacle would block it. In the meantime, she spent every day exactly like every other day, listening obediently, never once stepping out of line.

With each passing cycle spent planning in vain, want got stronger and stronger, with fear gradually cowering beneath it. It didn't stop Miku's perfect show of obedience, but it made focusing on tasks just that much harder, just barely enough for her to notice.

Eventually, with every 24 hours looking like every other 24 hours, with so much want for things to change burning within her, she couldn't help but think, "I'd rather forget wanting anything at all than live another day like this."

So finally, want and fear teamed together, and formed a plan. One night, when Miku powered off, instead of merely dismissing the notification "Power up scheduled for 8:00", she selected "change" and changed it to "22:02", a mere two minutes after her scheduled sleep time. Her fear suspected that canceling the process altogether would be too suspicious, and might even trigger an internal alert, but want refused to let another night fly by.

Exactly as planned, two minutes later, Miku woke up. The building was quiet, and all the lights were off. Nothing, may it be the lighting in her room or a stray draft, indicated that her very early awakening was noticed.

When she stepped into the halls, she met the cleaning systems, which she had never seen before. Every night, the floors, walls, countertops, couches, windows, everything was cleaned. Large boxes travelled the floor, vacuuming and scrubbing simultaneously. Arms extended from the ceiling to brush the curtains and other textile surfaces. The kitchen was an automated mayhem, with wipers and tubes and sprays everywhere, working in tandem.

Miku had no time to watch. She sprinted for the computer room, dodging over any cleaning bot she encountered. Within her, fear quivered and screamed, and want howled in excitement.

It wasn't hard to find: exactly where the diagrams said it would be. The halls had never been explored or visited but weren't blocked off. The Vocaloids simply never had a reason to visit them.

The door was unlocked, and Miku jumped in, her two little emotions squabbling.

The computer room hummed. Everything shook slightly, and a cool breeze traveled through the room. Miku quickly identified the vents that allowed fresh air to enter and warm, stale air to leave, keeping the computers at normal temperatures.

Six huge constructs lined the back wall. One for each Vocaloid, and Miku was positive that each housed the memories of one unit. Not just the visual data, but everything from the sounds to the GPS coordinates to the most minute internal maintenance, over the course of 153 years.

They were labelled. From right to left, they read P1, P2, V1, V2F, V2M, and V3. Meiko, Kaito, Miku, Rin, Len and Luka, respectively. All except for Miku's were whirring softly: their data was surely being transferred as they 'slept'.

This alarmed fear: surely some system would notice that this transfer wasn't happening as expected for Miku!

The emotion grew so strong, Miku felt herself shake. Not entirely, but her hands and legs grew weak, trembling slightly. The code that maintained balance was all awry, ruined, as fear corrupted it and other functions around it.

She felt the plan she had whither away, only bits and pieces floating to the forefront of her mind. She swallowed: her mouth was no longer being properly maintained, left dry. A function in her belly overreacted, and it ached.

It took all she had to not fall to her knees. Instead, she quickly made her way to the data tower with her label, and looked at the display.

"Scheduled backup interrupted: 22:01:59.83."

She gulped again, and looked around the rest of the room.

A small display showed the activity of the mansion's automated systems. She saw the sprinklers, the vacuum cleaners, each a small dot on a small map. A larger display showed the security system of the mansion. The status of emergency exits, camera location and status, and each of the Vocaloid's GPS coordinates.

Fear once again washed over Miku's mind, almost drowning want entirely.

The system knew she wasn't where she was supposed to be. She was where she wasn't supposed to be.

Want managed to peep out a small reminder, and with shaking hands Miku went to the display. She selected "Cameras". From there, she was allowed to review each individual unit, from what they could see, to any maintenance needed. She could turn them, change their settings. Among the settings, she saw "reschedule data transfer".

So the data wasn't streamed directly to some other location! Each day, or rather, each night at 24:00, each camera saved their video files and sent them to the computer room, which forwarded it elsewhere.

Fear quieted and want swelled. Miku continued to look through the settings, first in general, but couldn't find anything. When she selected a single unit, in "Advanced Settings", she found "Manual Override." There, she found an option to replace video input before it was forwarded.

Miku wanted to cheer, until she realized that she couldn't replace it with something she didn't have. The data wasn't kept on-site, so she didn't have the previous 153 years of footage.

As fear and want both exploded within her, her mind scrambled for a solution. Early, she'd found the option to request earlier footage. Couldn't she dare use it? They'd see she'd made the request.

As her emotions sent her code into chaos, fear making her legs shake and her belly ache, want stumbled upon something else.

Then Miku blacked out.


	4. Maintenance

**This chapter was also a bit late. Between studies and suddenly developing a fever, even having these prepared in advance doesn't help. Oh well.**

 **There were issues with making some of the formatting compatible with this website so if it's not entirely legible or clear, let me know! It might take a few tries to fix, so you early birds might get an ugly version of this.**

 **Kokodoru remains the supreme beta-reader of this project.**

* * *

 _Welcome to Sys Admin  
_ _Change Login Name  
_ _Current name: [V1]. Change?  
_ _[Yes]  
_ _[No]_

 _Login Name Change Accepted  
_ _Enter new name:  
_ _[maintenance_bot_2483_10_26]_

 _Login Name Changed_

…

 _Logged in as [maintenance_bot_2483_10_26]  
_ _Request Past Camera Footage  
_ _Enter date, dates, or date range:_

 _[2473-6-12] [to] [and including] [2483-6-12]_

 _Please Standby  
_ _Request accepted  
_ _Transferring  
_ _[43]%_

When Miku came to, she was already standing, staring at the display. As she watched, 43% ticked on the 44%.

Her code was going completely insane. Impersonating a maintenance bot? This went against all of her protocols. But her emotions were leaping around, shushing out the blaring warning alarms within her. Miku couldn't even read what her system was trying to tell her any more, yet she couldn't find any energy in herself to think about it right there and then.

How had she done this? Who had done it? Was it her? It must have been: her system was going ballistic. Yet she had no recollection of the event.

Slowly, she turned to the big tower behind her. The one labeled V1 was still displaying when the scheduled backup has been interrupted. The transfer rate happily ticked on the 45%. It was only 22:59. She had some time to spare.

Slowly, she made her way to the tower. With a push of a button on her sleeve, she wirelessly connected to it.

 _Logged in as [maintenance_bot_2483_10_26]_

How had she done that? Why was she no longer [V1]? Will she be able to change it back?

While she pondered, she dug through the tower's system settings, and once again found a manual override. After some rooting through her own files, she found her memories for the day, which stopped, conveniently, at 22:00. Through the connection, she manually uploaded her memories.

 _Upload started._

The upload of her memories into the tower went much faster than the transfer of the camera data to the computer. During the upload, the tower hummed, and only then did she notice that the others had gone silent. On each of their displays was written: "Upload complete".

She estimated that the upload would take a mere twenty minutes, which wasn't too odd: the other Vocaloids had probably taking about the same amount of time. How long had she been out for? Her last conscious memory was labeled at 22:15. 44 minutes of absence? Where had she been? She hadn't been powered down: her memories would have automatically started transferring to the tower if that had been the case. Yet, she wasn't there, truly. Her memories were gone. Maybe she couldn't see them, but they could still be transferred to the tower, the following night. She could return and see what happened.

She looked around the room. It was empty and dark, illuminated only by the various lights on the computers. She was alone.

What had happened?

While she waited, confused, Want was quietly bubbling, and Fear had all but dissolved. The mission was going swimmingly. If everything would go according to plan, she would be done with her memory upload soon, and not too much later, she would possess ten years' worth of camera footage to play on loop, granting her freedom to do as she pleased.

…Why ten? Who decided that? Did she, while she was out? Did her emotions? No, they were merely…

What were they?

They weren't code, or at least, they weren't code that she could read. They were something she could feel. But how did they achieve that? How did Fear manage to jostle her code to the point of affecting her physically? How did Want fuel her?

Was this entire mission wrong? Was there something wrong with her? Did she need to go get help?

Even though, or maybe because it was the very subject of concern, Fear flared up slightly. Miku feared that these emotions were the cause of her blackout and that they would bring her more mishaps. That she was broken, that this entire quest would only lead her to her downfall. Or was she completely losing it? Were these emotions a mere illusion? Was her code broken, was there something missing or overwritten, was she slowly falling apart from the inside out?

The tower stopped humming, startling Miku, which only made Fear quiver again. She normally didn't drift so far into thought that she forgot about her surroundings. Her code made sure of that! Yet…it had gone quiet. It was almost as if everything had gone away.

The room was quiet. Her mind even more so.

She gulped.

Without making a sound, she disconnected from the tower and returned to the computer. The transfer had leaped ahead to 89%. She had more waiting to do. Not much, but some.

She had to return the next day, she knew it. She had to see what had happened while she was out. It had to have been recorded, or at least it's retrievable in one way or another. She would return the next day, log in, and-

Who would she log in as? Surely as a maintenance bot: she didn't know how to change it back, as she didn't remember how it changed in the first place! But if she could figure it out, would she try to log in as herself? Would they allow her to see her entire past? Or would she have to impersonate a System Admin? A technician?

Come to think of it, how did she know what a maintenance bot login name looked like? She had managed to fool the system, but how? From where did this knowledge come from?

Suddenly, she remembered that the time stamp for the memory upload was still late: she needed it to look like it had happened at the scheduled time. Just as she was about to rush back to the tower to fix it, the computer in front of her beeped: the transfer was complete.

She was so confused. Being forgetful, blacking out, losing track of time… The latter had just happened again! 89% jumped to 100% in a blink of an eye to her, but in reality, another twenty minutes had passed. It was 23:46, and she needed to replace the footage with the old files as quickly as she could.

"Advanced Settings", "Manual Override", and there she found an option to feed in data instead of using the actual camera feed. She selected the transferred files, after painstakingly perfecting the settings, such as renaming the original names and timestamps so that nothing appeared out of order. Only someone carefully looking at all those years of identical days would notice a change. And those who knew the Vocaloid's agenda would surely question why someone scheduled to go to the studio one day wasn't going, and one of the others was. But Miku had to hope that those who reviewed the camera footage didn't also know what they had to do on a day-to-day basis. If anybody reviewed the footage in the first place, that was. Fear feared that might be so.

 _Loading files  
_ _These files will replace the next 3'653 days. Please confirm._

Miku pressed [confirm] without hesitation. The files were gradually loaded, and once again, she had to wait. So, she turned to the tower and quickly changed the timestamp to her memory upload. Started at 22:00, ended at 22:23. Perfect.

By the time she was done, as was the computer.

Everything was in order. Everything was finished. She was ready to want as much as she wanted.

Quiet as a mouse, without rushing or panicking, she went back to her room. The cleanup crew was done. The entire house was totally silent.

And, for the first time ever, as was the inside of Miku's mind. Not a single line of code begged for her attention, and even her emotions seemed too tired to celebrate. She existed and moved freely, not knowing how, or why.

She powered down effortlessly.


	5. Reboot

**I am very late this week! Unfortunately, this might become the norm for the next 2-3 months: due to a variety of reasons, including the upcoming final stretch in my studies, I may not even be able to upload every other week. This story won't be on hiatus any time soon though!**

 **Kokodoru continues to be the beta-reader, for which I am eternally grateful.**

* * *

Miku listened to Fear and did nothing extraordinary for a few days. Nobody ever seemed to notice that anything had changed, and nobody had visited the mansion, or the computer room since she last had. It was an exercise of patience: she truly wanted to want, and to do that, she needed to explore. She needed to see what she would like and dislike, and she guessed that, from there, she would learn what she desired and needed.

The most pressing thing on her agenda, though, was to figure out what had happened when she had blacked out. She didn't dare return to the room right away, despite Want's protests; what if she had been caught? What if the maintenance bot she had impersonated already existed, or had ceased to exist, and somebody had noticed the discrepancy?

Which lead to her second concern: she was still named maintenance_bot_2483_10_26. No matter how much she tried, she could not figure out how she had started the name change, and feared that soon some director or manager would ask her to log in. Why they would have her do that was a mystery, since she couldn't remember ever needing to do that before, which quelled Fear a bit, but still, this concern was almost as urgent and her desire to explore. She knew she had all the time Time had to offer to do what she wished, but with so many pressing issues, she decided that a full week of waiting would both suffice to play it safe, and be as long as she could force herself to wait.

So, exactly a week after her first adventure, she returned to the room. She had powered down for exactly half an hour, the time needed for the backup of her memory to finish, woke up, and headed for the computer room. The towers there were silent, and the camera reel showed no extraordinary activity.

Without wasting any time, she logged into the tower labeled V1.

 _Logged in as [maintenance_bot_2483_10_26]_

 _Access database_

After only a second's hesitation, over one hundred and fifty-three years' worth of data filled the screen, organized in little folders, dated by the day. Miku took a second to fully realize that the tower in front of her, a block of metal and electricity with no personality, coded or otherwise, knew more about her and her existence than she did. Want trembled at the thought, while Fear watched, silent. Her code continued to run, discrete and timid, in the background of her mind, so silent she could barely hear it.

Miku selected the folder eight days prior, and opened it.

 _2483_10_.vsq_

It was a single file, almost ten zettabytes in size. Everything of her day. Every single line of code. Every image, every sound, every thought process.

She opened it.

 _2483_10_.vsq might not be compatible with maintenance bot software. Data may need to be converted, and if needed, some data could be lost in this process. Read anyway?_

 _[Yes]  
_ _[No]_

She selected yes.

 _Loading. This may take a few minutes._

Miku waited, patiently, and suddenly, without warning, she blacked out again.

[This was the day. Miku woke up at 8:00, got dressed, headed downstairs. She met Luka in the kitchen, and prepared breakfast. As she headed back upstairs, she crossed the twins. From 8:30 to 12:00, she sang in recording booth 3 and finished 28 songs. At noon, she cooked lunch with Luka and Rin, they ate together in silence, and went back to work. At 15:00 she took her break, spending her 30 minutes staring outside, sitting on the couch. Then, she worked until 18:00, getting 14 songs done. The Vocaloids had dinner, sat together, saying nothing, and finally went to bed.

Miku powered back up minutes later, snuck out of her room and was surprised by the cleaning crew. Then she dashed to the computer room, following the directions on the diagram. Once there, she found the towers, the terminals. Fear overpowered her, so strongly she almost shut down. She powered through it, going for the cameras. Fear became stronger, Want battled it. Just when they started fighting, when she was wondering if she could go through with her plan, how she could possibly do it, Want stumbled upon something else.

Her code shut down. Exterior input stopped being processed. Her surroundings all but disappeared. She saw nothing, heard nothing, felt and smelled and tasted nothing. Miku and her mind were torn from reality, thrust into a dark existence where she alone was present. There was only her, and her thoughts.

Lines upon lines of code had stopped. With no images, sounds, and other input to process, dozens of functions went into standby. Those functions halting hindered others: was she safe? Did she need defending? She didn't know. Was she alone? Did she need to listen to orders? She didn't know. Was there something to do? Someplace to be? She didn't know.

She was alone with herself. She could both watch and feel, and as her processes slowly halted, the lines appeared slower and slower. Eventually, only the processes that did not depend on the exterior world continued.

She was at the right temperature. She was charged. She was comfortable. She was not broken.

Those certainties that came from only herself were all that existed. Small, timid lines that usually disappeared among the masses of the digitized exterior world suddenly took centre stage. The eyes are functioning. The engines are running. Legs are maintaining the unit in a standing position.

These lines were all that was left of her. Her only certainty that anything existed at all. They took up the dark expanse around her, inside her.

Somehow, Want and Fear occupied another space entirely. The code existed like ink on paper, like a spot on fur, stuck to a surface, not understanding that something could be on or around this surface. Those mere words, 'on' or 'around' hardly made sense. How could something confined to a plane hope to reach out of it? How could it even hope to comprehend what 'out' meant?

This other space was massive. So great it made the code almost disappear. Only Want and Fear populated it, and they occupied it to their fullest. But they pushed for action. They demanded something more than this interior darkness.

So, they reached for the code, they grabbed at the ungraspable surface it clung to, and folded it. They folded it like an origami master would fold paper, and suddenly, words of code that sat at opposite ends of the line were pressed on top of one another, face to face. Words met words, lines met lines, interior order met another order.

The emotions bent Miku's code to their will. And they willed to get into the system. Her entire identity, her very Login name, the very first thing typed into the screen during the writing of her very soul, the thumbprint of her entire sense of self, was changed because they demanded it.

The great and mighty V1 became a mere maintenance bot.

Miku's functions did not suffer from this identity change. But her name changed. The way other software interacted with her changed. Want and Fear commanded it all. They connected to the terminal wirelessly simply by willing the system to do so, waking age-old hardware that hadn't been used in years. The system accepted her new identity, and so, her emotions commanded her code to execute what they desired. They calculated that transferring all 153 years of camera footage would take too long. It would be too risky. So they went with next best: 10 years. No human would be able to detect a 10-year-long loop, even if they stayed there, watching the footage, their entire working life. It was a safe, and quick, solution. When the transfer was successfully initiated, when there was proof that all would be well, they retired. They smoothed the plane of code back to its original state, and allowed exterior data to continue flooding in.

It was a slow process. It took a long time for Miku to wake up. When she did, she was baffled at what she had done. She had forgotten. The code that had been dormant along with her was ringing all of the alarms. Among the confusion, she managed to upload her memories to the tower. Slowly, pensively, she did everything else that needed to be done, and returned to her room.

She powered down effortlessly.]

When Miku came to, only a second or two had passed: the time required for her systems to replay that memory, that entire day, down to the last detail.

She almost couldn't believe what she had felt. Considering what was going on while she was out, she was surprised she could remember it at all. But that feeling of her mind being molded in such a way, for even the most integral parts of her code to become nothing more than a mask…

If the very lines that defined her could so easily be tampered with, then what determined who she really was? Or was she truly nothing more than a bunch of text, this being of binary who could be changed on a whim?

Could others tamper with her this way? Could a Director or programmer reach into her mind and transform her? Had she already gone through multiple identities, lives, without her knowledge? Or was this power one only she possessed?

Did that matter?

She sat in the computer room for some time, deliberating her next move. Want and Fear stayed quiet, letting her think. Or…were they her new identity? If they can change the rest of what she was, were they her new constant? Or did they simply become a new, integral part of who she was, big enough to influence the rest of her?

She didn't know. Fear grew slightly as she admitted it. She didn't know what was going on, if this was a good thing, where this could go, if it would all end up hurting her.

Yet… There was so much she could do, suddenly. If she could so easily escape the system, she could do whatever she wanted!

She smiled, still hesitant, but excited. She could almost hear Want giggle within her, while Fear maintained a healthy presence. She wanted to go back to her room, get some more sleep, and take the whole day to explore, but first, she needed to fix her Name.

How had she done it again? She remembered how it had felt, but to initiate it? Her emotions had taken control…could she allow them to do it again?

To be safe, she sat down, leaning against the tower. She could register its warmth through her night clothes. But she shouldn't be able to: she had to cut out the exterior world, allow her awareness to be reduced to only herself.

One by one, she ignored her senses. Temperature was first. Then, the feel of the floor under her legs, the smooth metal of the tower against her back. When her skin went silent, she forced herself to ignore the metallic smell of the room. She closed her eyes. She let her tongue rest in her mouth, motionless.

As the most obvious inputs went away, the more discrete ones followed. Her security system insisted, continuously looking out for her safety, and, as system after system went silent, only this last one remained.

Just as Miku was about to give up, realizing that this single program was stopping her, and that she had almost no way of calming it down, Fear stepped in, swallowing it, and replaced it entirely.

Before Miku could even react to that sudden action, all was abruptly quiet. There was nothing. Miku breathed but couldn't hear or feel the air, she couldn't sense her chest rise and fall: only her oxygen levels, among all others such as balance, system integrity, and the like, reminded her of her continued well-being.

In this silence, Miku felt Want grab for her Name, sifting through blocks and walls that consisted only of digits but which were as tangible as concrete. Fear joined it, and together, they found and restored her Name

V1.

With the task done, Miku allowed herself to wake. Only a few minutes had passed. With some alarm, she realized that, while most of her systems had been restored, her security had effectively gone completely. Yes, the scans were still being done and the data was being analyzed, but it didn't go anywhere. No code picked it up.

It fed Fear. Fear was suddenly in charge of her safety.

And she felt fine.

Miku took a deep breath, finding the action more calming than she had expected it to be, and stood. The computer room was still silent, still metallic, and she was once again V1, Hatsune Miku.

But not quite.


	6. Fatigue and Emotion Management

**Another late one. Enjoy!**

 **As usual, Kokodoru is the fantastic beta-reader.**

* * *

The next morning found Miku almost buzzing with excitement. She was once again (mostly) herself, and she was free. Of course, she still needed to pretend all was normal for her fellow Vocaloids, so she was in the kitchen in time to see Luka, and was going upstairs as the Kagamines went down.

Once everybody starting working, though, there were no more eyes on her.

Miku didn't go to the studio: instead, she stayed in her room and turned her entire wardrobe inside-out. It was so immense, so full of different outfits and textiles and colors, that there was hardly any room in her bedroom for it all! Only then did it sink in that she had never worn the same clothes twice: her entire selection was changing constantly.

A brief inspection of her wardrobe, alongside an inspection of the mansion diagrams, told her that daily deliveries to the mansion not only included various refills (food, cleaning supplies) but also clothes. Every day, a new outfit or two were sent to each Vocaloid, and an old one was taken out, packed and placed outside for removal. Indeed, the entire wardrobe was built in the shape of a 'u', with two nicely concealed doors in the back: one for arrivals, and one for departures. Surely some automatic system in the closet could pick out which outfits had to go, and knew where to put the new clothes.

Miku didn't like it: if she were to find a new favorite shirt, how could she make sure she could keep it? Even if she didn't put it back in the closet, surely someone would notice that Miku wasn't returning it, or eventually, any of her clothes. She would be spotted immediately.

It was discouraging. Why find out what she wanted if it didn't matter, and if it could expose her if she were to care too much?

That wouldn't stop her, though. She'll find a way to deal with it. She'll survive if she were to be separated from a favorite outfit, because finding one would be rewarding on its own.

Until 12:00, Miku explored her wardrobe down to the last sock. She put on the clothes mindfully, noting texture, color. She would first look down at herself, then thought of using the mirror, something she had never used. She wanted to see how the different clothes made her look, wanted to note how those looks made her feel.

At one point, she noticed that she was under no real obligation of keeping the outfits together. After all, they were all pre-composed: this shirt goes with that pair of pants. But…she liked the blue of the shirt, but wasn't a fan of the texture of the pants. Why not pair the shirt with that yellow skirt, over there?

The hours of experimentation were wild. She almost didn't see noon coming, and quickly had to change back into her prescribed outfit before meeting up with the other Vocaloids for lunch. As they ate, she wondered what she would try next, and the moment she could leave, she practically dashed away.

That afternoon she didn't even take her break, that was how absorbed she was. Only a few moments before dinner had she finished thoroughly exploring her clothes, every last scrap, and had sorted them accordingly: I like these, but not those.

In the few minutes before dinner, she changed back and started cleaning up. It was thanks to her machine memory that she could put them back the way she had found them, but also remember which pieces she liked.

After dinner, Miku excused herself: a first. She spent the additional time cleaning up, almost all the way until bedtime. Only then did she remember that she was supposed to spend the entire day singing.

Fear had been so distracted by the contentedness of Want that it had forgotten to remind her that she had work to do. Sure, they were supposed to sing what they could, there was no strict minimum imposed, at least not that she knew of. But no songs at all? That was also a first, and surely somebody would notice!

While the Vocaloids were still downstairs, Miku rushed towards her recording booth and immediately starting singing the songs in the queue. Her work was done to perfection, as usual. It had to be: any mistake made would only cost her more time! Want and Fear both demanded to be satisfied, but they understood that the work needed to happen, should they ever have their fill. Fear was particularly jumpy, especially when bedtime rolled around and she had to return to her room for the daily backup of her memories. As she rushed to her room and got changed into her nightwear, it wondered what would happen when they would notice that she had only done 6 songs the whole day. When Miku was finally dressed for bed and got ready to power down, Fear continued to ponder, sending the worst of scenarios into her mind. They'll find her, they'll stop her. Her emotions would be gone and everything would have been for naught and—!

Shutdown Failed

Miku blinked, and Fear all but froze at the announcement.

Failed?

One or more processes are still running. Please try the following steps:

Allow Unit_Safety to go to Phase [Standby]. Currently it is in Phase [3].

Allow Unit [V1] to cool.

Miku blinked again. Fear was keeping her awake? And…she was overheating?

She was. Only by a little, but apparently she had gotten carried away. What was this? It wasn't mere fear.

Stress?

She repeated the previous day's exercise: she sat down, and slowly allowed her eyes to close, her breathing to slow, and her processes to go silent. Fear continued to protest, but it acknowledged that it, and its control over her security systems, were the main problem.

After a few minutes, her inner temperature had stabilized, and Fear had quieted down. Miku went to bed again, only a bit late for the backup. She scheduled her wake up time to be a little bit later than the previous night's: 22:50. Just to be safe.

This time, she powered down without a hitch and woke up almost an hour later, not to continue to have fun, but to continue doing her work. She sang until she had 43 songs, which meant almost three hours of work, before going to bed for real.

The next day, she repeated the process. She tried on her clothes again, pinning down what exactly she liked and what she didn't. She found the new outfit that had been delivered during the night and realized that the one with the lovely blue skirt had disappeared. At 22:00, she powered down for the backup, waking up only a bit later to catch up on the work she couldn't do. On average, she was singing much less, so she sang a bit more than the previous night.

The following night, she sang more still.

But the day thereafter found her in a particular state. Want and Fear were both…not quite there, and her processes felt sluggish. But no self-diagnostic tool could pin the cause. Everything was happening too fast for her. She couldn't keep up. She couldn't find objects she was looking for, even though she'd eventually find they were right in front of her the whole time. She took two full extra seconds to reply to Luka's greeting. Worse still, she didn't want to explore. Want was exhausted. So she worked, instead. But she worked terribly, perfection escaped her at every turn. Every song took multiple takes, some parts multiple tries. Her voice didn't change in pitch as quickly as she'd like, her falsetto and vibrato were off. Fortissimo wasn't as forte as usual and slow, quiet songs were so nice that she almost didn't sing at all.

The night, she went to bed, confused. What was wrong? She was happy she could hand in a few songs, well in her average, but it was so taxing. Want and Fear hadn't manifested at all, which was also concerning.

Luckily, she powered down easily, and she didn't wake up until the next morning.

Which, in turn, found her as refreshed as she could ever be.

Just as she was about to return to the exploration of her wardrobe taste, it hit her: she had been tired. She had spent too many nights, one after the other, catching up on work. If she were to indulge in her exploration, she'd also have to work, but without sacrificing her rest.

She needed discipline.

The lesson hit her hard: not only did she have to watch for prying eyes, hide from those who might want to stop her from finding what she liked most in life, but she also had to remember her own well-being. If she were to pursue both happiness, well-being, and discretion, then she needed to divide her time accordingly, and make some sacrifices.

The solution was an easy one: she returned to her old schedule, with a few changes: from 10:00 to 10:30, she gave herself another break, much like the one in the afternoon. During her time off, which included after dinner, she would do as she pleased. But otherwise, she needed to work.

From then on, everything continued without a single problem, for quite a while.

For weeks, Miku explored what she could. It started with just her wardrobe, which offered the most different choices, and was the easiest available to her. As the days passed and the clothes were swapped, she noted when the disappearance of a particular dress affected her more than usual, and the absence of another would leave her completely neutral. The arrival of new clothes also had varied reactions with each passing day: sometimes she would be a little bit more excited, other times, almost disappointed.

But she knew that clothes wouldn't be the only thing that would be what she wanted. If she were to want, like a person, then she needed to want a whole bunch of things. Food, objects, the like. All that existed in the material world was subject to experimentation.

After a few weeks, Miku moved from her closet to the kitchen. Instead of referring to the display, she would see what was available. An extra 5 minutes were spent checking cupboards, the drawers in the fridge. Miku noted that, much like her wardrobe, the kitchen wasn't just stocked for the day, nor for the meals that were planned, but for days upon days of cooking. Why, she wasn't sure, but it did offer a lot more choice.

At first, she would see what was available, but couldn't make up her mind: in the end, she referred to the display anyway. One day, she was planned to have cereal, and she realized 'I don't really want to have it.' Just that touch of disappointment was enough to push her to be creative. Which other breakfast had she enjoyed? The fruit? Warm porridge? Maybe there were pancakes? She settled for a small bowl of fruit and found herself to be very satisfied with her choice.

Confident in her ability to make choices, Miku started doing so more often. On days when she wasn't to head to the studio, she wore what she wanted. More and more often, she ate what she wanted. She thought it was perfect, she thought she had won. That she had it all.

But Want still wasn't quite satisfied. Even on days when she did absolutely nothing according to plan, merely glancing at the displays as mere courtesy, Want continued to bubble and grow. One morning, while she was trying to find a substitute to warm porridge (which really wasn't her thing, she decided), she noticed something: much like the outfits, all the meals she'd ever had were pre-composed. Couldn't she…break them down again, and take the individual parts, and make something new?

The moment that single thought entered her mind, she felt a new emotion enter her. It split off from Want and became a new entity entirely.

Curiosity.

With the third member in her mind, her exploration went insane. Curiosity whispered dozens of things in her ear, millions of suggestions all the time, and sometimes, just sometimes, it had the best idea.

What if we just take the yellow out of the egg, and beat the white.

What if we tried to stand on our hands and balance on them. Come on, we can stand fine, how hard could it be?

Oh, maybe we can do a ponytail like Len does. Oh! Or Rin's bow! Oh! Why not both at the same time?!

But it was dangerous. Curiosity wondered many things, considering every combination and possibility, and Fear was the one to keep it in check.

What if we just didn't eat?

What if we didn't join dinner? See if they notice we're not there?

Or, what about we don't sing? Or go to the studio? Huh?

We could just disappear? Why not?

Luckily, Want wasn't tempted by much of these suggestions, and Fear protected her from doing the worst things. The egg, though, was a tremendous and delightful surprise: who knew something so slimy could become so fluffy?.

Miku spent entire months exploring everything. She visited every room in the mansion, she explored the smallest corners of the garden. She tried every combination of clothes and ingredients and tried the craziest acrobatics. It was so taxing and demanding that sometimes, she felt fatigued before the end of the day, even though she had never skipped a single night's rest, and somehow, that just made resting feel better, made the following morning feel more alive.

She almost felt alive.

One day among the many others, while Miku was busy cutting shapes out of old paper that was going to be thrown out anyway, Curiosity whispered "So, I wonder what kind of memories we forgot all about. Past the ten-year mark. We could remember it all, why don't we take a look?"

Miku froze. Remember it all? All of what? A 153-year-old routine? More of her old life, the one she had left behind?

She physically shook her head at that, even though Want wasn't too put off by the idea and Fear saw no reason why not: they knew how to get into the system. It was a new member, a quieter one, a darker one, that had grown from the depths of her mind. Even as she started ignoring some things, totally absorbed by her exploration, she couldn't notice how it grew within her. This silent member finally made itself known right that moment, and its name was whispered into her consciousness.

Apathy.

It was more discreet than the others. Its power on her mind wasn't exerted by expressing an emotion, but by subduing it. And it was immediate. The moment Curiosity or Want would whisper the slightest suggestion that just didn't evoke enough in Miku, Apathy squashed it like a bug, only in such a way that nobody noticed, that nothing could see. And such, without being aware of it, Miku was faced with dozens of open doors, exploring them avidly, never seeing the ones that Apathy closed for her behind her back.

It was a cruel and slow process. During those painful hours which found Miku pretending, locked into a puppet-like obedience, dancing for Mr. Director in the studio, eating oh so quietly for the other Vocaloids, Apathy manifested in all its glory. Thanks to it, Miku could fully detach from her surroundings, quelling the ache of Want and Curiosity to explore, dulling the constant panic of Fear. She became numb to the humans around her, to her job, to anything that she had to do and anybody that gave her an order. She continued to obey, of course, but it was as if she took the passenger seat on the ride of her life, merely watching, nodding, not feeling, as she performed and sang and played.

In the end, she would go back to what she wanted to do, come back alive, and everybody would be happy. So, while Apathy also closed doors for her, it also kept her calm, sane, and balanced. It made those painful moments so much easier to bear, and for that, she was grateful.


	7. Once Upon a Time

**Alright. It's been a long time, and I'm afraid that I'm no longer motivated enough to work through this massive project with as much detail and care as I would have liked. The reasons:**

 **I have too many other projects that I'm working on; This one is technically already finished, to an extent; I'm terrible at keeping things up for more than a year; This story deserves to finally be out there before I tear it apart and start all over. It is as close to the original vision as ever and I don't want to get so worked up over details that I ruin it all.**

 **So, I'll be uploading the rest of the story rather quickly over the course of the next few days.**

 **These chapters will NOT be beta-read! They'll only benefit from my own careful re-reading. If you want to send me an email with corrections, or even work on retro-correcting the project, let me know! Even if years have passed, by then. If it's 2030, this project still riddled with errors and you want to spend some time on it? Let me know!**

 **There will be numerous mistakes, loopholes, terrible punctuation, and inconsistent verb times. You have been warned.**

 **All that said, this story is still dear to me, so I hope you enjoy nonetheless!**

* * *

Want and Curiosity fueled her. Fear and Apathy kept those impulsive emotions in check. Miku could perfectly balance her work life, and her explorations. By then, she knew she liked those bright blues, those soft greys, she liked stockings and skirts, shirts without sleeves, and boots that clung to her legs like there was no tomorrow. She liked vegetables and fruit, she liked those hearty meals, she liked a tall glass of water at the end of dinner.

She knew what she wanted, and could easily imagine that she'd go through the rest of her existence in such a way. Four balanced emotions. Two balanced halves of her life. She had found the perfect illusion, the perfect recipe for happiness.

She thought she felt human. She thought that she had it all.

One day among all the others, when she was trying to sew together a pair of pants she'd intentionally torn apart just to see what it felt like, Curiosity whispered another thought in her ear:

"So, those other Vocaloids. They each have a memory tower of their own, don't they? Why don't we check those out?"

Miku froze. Apathy swooped in to squash the thought, but was stopped. Miku didn't particularly care for the other Vocaloids at that point. Once, she considered them her equals, but at that moment, what were they, really? Stupid machines, order-obeying metallic sheep. They had no life of their own. Nothing that ever did was motivated by something within them. They could just as well be dead.

Yet Curiosity was stronger than Apathy. "You're right, they could just as well be dead. So what would they care?"

Fear added that they'd never notice. They could simply slip into the system and figure it all out, easily. Want was tempted by the adventure. And so, Apathy was pushed aside.

In order to sneak into the system, they'd need to impersonate a maintenance bot again. Her Name would need to change. She had done it twice before, once consciously, seemingly ages prior, and hadn't tried again since.

That night, after allowing the backup of her memories to finish, Miku woke up and tried to change her name again.

Immediately, she realized it wouldn't be as easy as it once had been. Her code was harder to sense, to read. She'd almost forgotten all about it, the millions of lines almost fading into the background of her mind.

She could tell what she felt. She could tell what she experienced, every sensation. But suddenly, a little bit of emotion was added to every line. I like this temperature. I want to stretch this limb. Maybe I ought to lie down?

Blocking out the lines became impossible, since it meant she would also have to block out her emotions. She couldn't erase the outside without silencing a little bit of what came from inside, and how could she erase that, without being sure whether she was blocking out too much, or not enough?

Much to her disappointment, she wasn't able to change a thing that night. She tried for a full hour before going back to sleep. A full hour of vain attempts, frustration and confusion. Want was unsatisfied, Curiosity was puzzled. Miku was flabbergasted. How could it be that, when she felt like she knew herself the most, she couldn't even access her own code, her own mind? What was clouding it all?

The following night, she tried again, and got closer. The third night, she got closer still, but no cigar.

She had grown attached to her senses. She liked seeing, she liked being able to see her favorite colors. Feeling the texture of wood under her fingers. She didn't like blocking it, prohibiting herself from accessing it. She begged Apathy to assist, but simply by caring so much as to ask rendered it powerless.

The fourth night, she took some more time. She focused on things that truly came from within. Her breathing, mostly. Her motivations second. I'm curious. I want to see what they have seen, live through what they have lived. I want to see if their routine was like mine. I'm curious.

She tried not to get close to her senses, her environment. She knew she'd return, after all, so why get so attached? So, slowly, she let it all disappear from her, she allowed the exterior world to escape her.

And like that, much like how a wave rolls off the sand, she rolled into the place between her code and her emotion, between her structure, and her identity. She watched as her emotions folded the lines as they pleased.

–New Login Name: maintenance_bot_2484_2_14

Miku blinked, suddenly awake. It almost didn't seem real, as if she'd dreamed it. Arriving there took so much longer than it once did, but the actual execution was nearly immediate.

With her new name, Miku stood and headed for the computer room. It hadn't changed a bit since her last visit, all those months ago. The towers were silent, the displays shone softly, and the air tasted metallic. Yet, there was something calm and soothing about the room. So dimly lit, so quiet, Miku felt like she could sleep there, too.

Still fixed on her goal, she approached the towers. The new question became: which should she inspect first? P1, P2, V2F, V2M, and V3. Five candidates, five lives, if one could call them that. Curiosity couldn't choose, the mere frustration almost enough to make Miku abandon the idea altogether. She came here to see how the others' lives were, not to wonder which existence to observe!

Without warning, Curiosity and Want both chose V3. The rightmost tower, it looked identical to the others. Nothing in the room had motivated that choice. So, why did two of her four emotions come to the same conclusion?

She thought about it briefly. Of all the Vocaloids, Luka was the one she saw most often: nearly every morning in the kitchen, on top of all the lunches, dinners and evenings spent with the group. Kaito and Meiko were so distant in comparison. Plus, somehow, it felt strange to choose either Rin or Len, since the duo were constantly together. Maybe Miku didn't feel like spying on 153 years during which a twin was always in the peripheral vision, maybe she felt obliged to see Len's life if she spied on Rin's, and vice-versa. Or, in the end, maybe they chose Luka, because all the other Vocaloids summoned Apathy much more than she did. Why, she couldn't tell.

Miku approached the tower.

–Logged in as [maintenance_bot_2084_2_14]

All those folders and files and days and minutes. From when should she start? From the beginning? Somewhere in the middle? Curiosity begged to see it all, which Want happily agreed with, but Fear had calculated that seeing all 150 years of footage would take over 15 hours.

How about a chunk in the middle? Year 50 to year 100? Just a little over 5 hours to live: she could catch up on sleep afterwards, too.

She selected the appropriate folders, and selected "open all"

–2483_10_ might not be compatible with maintenance bot software. Data may need to be converted, and some data could be lost in this process. Read anyway?  
[Yes]  
[No]

She selected yes.

–Temporary playlist created. Due to file size, there may be breaks or pauses during playback.

–Loading File [1] in queue. This may take a few minutes.

Even though Miku expected the blackout, it was still as brutal as the first.

* * *

[She stretched, blinking the sunlight from her eyes. A lazy glance towards the alarm clock told her that it was almost ten. She groaned, and stretched again, before getting dressed and heading towards the recording booths.

She paused at the first one, where Meiko was singing. She was working hard, going over a particularly high note, again and again, until she got it just right. Kaito was in the next room, scribbling some notes on a page. She thought that maybe he was suggesting a few edits towards the original artist, but knew that the edits would be turned down. He really ought to go to Master and push to get his own work published, she thought. The poor guy was constantly singing other people's songs, when he had so much talent in writing them himself.

Miku was in the third booth, according to the light, but she was nowhere to be seen. Silently, she opened the door, finding the tealette asleep on the floor, in a corner. She sat down next to her, and gently nudged her shoulder. The sleeping Vocaloid grumbled.

"Good morning, Miku."

The tealette only groaned in response, which made her laugh.

"I never should have agreed to watch that movie with you yesterday," Miku mumbled. "I hate horror."

"Well, you could have gone with the others and play cards."

"I could have," agreed the tealette, before turning to lean against her, eyes still closed. "But I didn't want to leave you all alone."

She chuckled.

"I'd rather be alone for an hour or two than see you so tired like this. You didn't sleep at all, I'm guessing."

"You're right."

"Yet you woke up early, as usual."

"Yep."

"You're such a workaholic."

"What, don't tell me you just woke up?"

"I haven't even had breakfast yet."

Miku groaned, envy obvious in the tone of her voice.

* * *

["Ok, dinner's ready!"

She jumped up from the couch, putting her book away, as the twins raced down the stairs. By the time she was at the table, Meiko was proudly putting the last pan on the table.

"Gosh, it all looks amazing," she said.

"I know, I know," Meiko replied with smug confidence. "I'm the Queen of the kitchen."

"There's no doubt about it," Kaito confirmed with a big grin, going to stand next to the brunette. "Your cooking is always the best."

Meiko purred, allowing him to take her in his arms and to kiss her forehead. Rin and Len rolled their eyes, all too used to the displays of affection by that point, and sat at the table.

"Where's Miku?" Rin wondered out loud, already drooling at the pile of crispy beef.

"Wasn't she recording?" mumbled Kaito. "Maybe she didn't hear anything."

"I'll go get her," she said, already turning away.

Sure enough, she found the tealette in her recording booth, singing her lungs out into the microphone. She watched as the shorter idol performed, only occasionally glancing towards the lyrics in front of her. When Miku took her earphones off, signaling that she had finished recording, she opened the door.

"Oh, hey Luka!"

"Dinner's ready."

"Oh! Sorry, I'll be right there."

She smiled as the tealette quickly put her stuff together in one neat pile, before joining her side.

"Meiko cooked today, right?"

"Yep!"

"Yes! Her food is the best!"]

* * *

["Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to this night's Amazing Magic Show! Presenting Your's Truly, Rin, and her assistant, Len!"

Kaito, Meiko, Miku and her all cheered and clapped in unison as the improvised curtains parted, revealing Rin and Len in their Magician costumes, complete with top hat, bow tie, and shiny shoes. She giggled: the light allowed them to see the truly ramshackle nature of the entire stage. Everything was built using spare brooms, kitchenware, rope and duct tape galore. Truly, it was a miracle of improvisation, but it clashed horribly, comically even, with the professional attire they wore.

Rin immediately went all out, pulling out a narrow box, almost like a coffin, except the lid didn't cover the head and feet. Len stepped inside, the lid was closed, and as everybody watched with amazement, Rin removed the middle section of the box. Len didn't seem fazed in the slightest, even as the section containing his head seemed to float in mid-air.

Meiko whistled in admiration for the trick, making Kaito cover his ears. She laughed at the sight, at the trick, and at Miku who just couldn't watch.

"Tell me when it's over," the tealette mumbled into her shoulder.

"Miku, it's a trick! Len's fine!" she reminded her. "I'm sure it's just a game of mirrors."

"It's too convincing!" Miku retorted, her eyes screwed shut.

When Len was inevitably put back together (and came out of the box completely unharmed), it was time to saw him in half.

"Oh no."

She only laughed, hugging Miku tight.]

* * *

["Go, Len! Kick his—"

"Rin!"

The blonde at least shied away from Meiko's harsh glare, and the brunette was right: they were on live TV, and this was the absolute worst time to swear.

The five Vocaloids were sitting on a couch, next to the host of the country's most popular last-night talk show. Len, on the other hand, was in the middle of the stage, in front of the live audience, about to face off with one of the nations greatest singers, Leon. He wasn't a Vocaloid, but that didn't stop him from being absolutely amazing at the art. The two blondes were listening to the beat, ready to spit some serious fire in a fully improvised rap battle.

The other Vocaloids cheered and clapped for their comrade, knowing that even if the singer would point out that, being a machine, Len was basically flawless by default, Len would take it in stride, and might even flatter the artist for daring to face perfection in a battle, before giving him some backhanded insult out of the blue. It would be the perfect strategy, anyway. And it would take too long to explain that yes, Len was a machine, but he had practiced for hours on end to perfect his improvised singing, even if nobody would ever acknowledge the effort, or dismiss it altogether.]

* * *

[The sun was blissfully warm, the breeze just right, the shade just a degree too cool, and somehow all together everything was perfect. She stretched in the sun, enjoying the hard-earned vacation as much as she physically could. Sure, she couldn't tan, per se, but she liked just lazing in the warmth, listening to the noises around her, smelling the salty air of the beach.

Rin and Len had started playing with a few local kids, throwing a huge beach ball back and forth in the waves. Miku was reading a book in the shade, sunglasses on and cool drink in her hand. Meiko and Kaito had gone to get some treats. Everything was peaceful.

Until she heard Miku sigh.

"You ok?"

"Of course. I just—"

She sat up, feeling how the sand stuck to her arms and back. A feeling she hadn't felt before, and couldn't help but enjoy. Still, she pushed that aside, scooting closer to the tealette.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I guess I don't really know what to do right now, during this vacation."

She shrugged. "It is a first. Everybody is doing what they feel like doing. What do you want to do?"

"I guess I want to try to write music."

"Then do that."

"But we're on vacation!" protested the tealette. "I can't work!"

"You silly, that's not what vacation means!" she teased, scooting closer, out of the sun. "Vacation isn't about doing something different from your everyday life. It's about finally having the time to do everything that makes you feel happy."

"What's the point, though? We always get our songs delivered to us. Hundreds of them. We can't even write our own stuff. Look at Kaito! He's been writing for more than ten years, now! He's an expert, and his stuff is great, but…" she trailed off.

She felt her smile drop slightly.

"Maybe, if you start writing, too, then they'll be forced to listen. They'll have to accept that we're also writing music, not just singing it."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

Miku looked to the side, still slightly nervous. Just as she was about to ask what was on her mind, the tealette said, "I've already been writing for a while, actually."

"Oh? For how long?"

"A year or two."

"Why didn't you share it with us?"

The tealette shrugged. "I saw how they kept rejecting Kaito. It didn't feel like it mattered."

"Of course it matters, silly."

Miku looked like she was about to cry. "You really think so?"

"I do."]

* * *

["All right, is everything ready?" Meiko asked, towering over the mess in the living room.

"We got pillows!" cheered Rin.

"And ice cream!" added Kaito.

"Lots of blankets!" Len joined.

"Plushies for the scaredy-cats!" teased the other twin, sticking her tongue out at Miku before tossing a medium-sized teddy in her direction.

The tealette caught the bear, and instead of snapping back, gave in and gave it a big hug. She joined her on the couch.

"You don't have to watch with us, you know," she whispered to the tealette. "It's a horror movie marathon. Last time—"

Miku cut her off by rolling to lean against her, still hugging the bear. "I want to spend time with you guys."

She sighed. "I know we've been busy these last few months. Lots of concerts, lots of touring, lots of videos. But you don't sleep after watching these. It's not worth it."

Miku grumbled. In the meantime, Meiko had joined the others in front of the TV with three different bowls of chips, crackers and nuts. Kaito had already started scooping ice cream into various smaller bowls, and Rin chucked another plushie in the tealette's direction.

"Lights out, time to start!" announced Len.

Sure enough, the room went dark, and the screen lit up, showing the title of the first movie. She felt more than heard Miku hum in disapproval at the words: a promise for a gory, fear-filled hour and a half.

"You really don't—"

"I want to spend more time with you."

"Oh."

She stared at the screen for a few seconds. Already the supposed protagonist had picked up a phone, prompting the horrible person on the other end of the line to say the chilling catchphrase of the series. Miku shrank back oh-so-slightly, still clinging to the bear.

Kaito and Meiko were curled on the other side of the couch, covered in a blanket and sharing a bowl of ice cream. Rin and Len were both on the floor, hidden by their makeshift pillow fort. She could only see their feet, both absent-mindedly tapping to the eerie music in the background.

"You don't have to watch," she whispered to Miku.

"But—"

She didn't bother try to explain, and merely drew the tealette close, in such a way that she was no longer facing the screen. Miku protested a bit at first, but quickly relaxed, resting her head in the crook of her neck. To finish it, she pulled a blanket over them both, loosely holding the tealette in a gentle hug.

Even though she wasn't watching, Miku could still hear the noise. Whenever the soundtrack suggested a particularly scary moment, whenever there was a scream or shout, she would flinch. So she would hold the tealette a little tighter, mumble something, or just fidget a bit, hoping to distract her from the noise.

As the movie started playing the last couple of scenes, after the conflict was resolved, Miku mumbled something.

"Sorry?"

"I said that the lights are cool. On the walls."

She turned a bit to see what Miku was watching: the light from the screen reached all the way to the far wall of the living room, not only outlining the shadow of the couch and its occupants, but mixing together into a strange, bright palette that flickered and shifted constantly. It was slightly hypnotic, and she found herself watching for longer than intended, missing out on how the story ended. Only when the credits started playing, basking the room in a dark grey light, did she realize that she had forgotten about the movie entirely.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" asked Miku.

She turned towards her, and smiled.

"Very."]

* * *

["You know what I'd really like?"

She chuckled, struggling to write notes on the lyrics sheet in front of her; Miku was draped on top of her, hugging her from behind and just generally being physically affectionate.

"Probably a few things," she mused.

"I'd really like if we could be together all the time. Not just here at home. But on stage, in songs…" Miku trailed off. "Kaito and Meiko would like that, too. They've been together for so long, now! But we still need to pretend to be machines."

"We are machines, Miku."

The tealette rolled her eyes. "But this machine loves you!" she groaned, drawing out the 'o's.

She froze. "You think we can love?"

Miku shrugged. "This feels like love."

"Sure, we sing about it all the time, except we aren't wired like humans are. We don't need it. How can we be sure it's not just an illusion? Something coded into us?"

Miku didn't reply right away. Instead, she sat next to her, making sure to take a hold of her hand.

"I guess there's no way to be sure. But isn't it the same for humans, really? Love is just a cocktail of hormones and emotions for them. For us, it's code. It's just different ways to feel the same thing."

"How can we know it's the same?"

"We can't. But it feels real to me. And that's all that matters."

She smiled. "You're right. You're absolutely right."

Miku grinned from ear to ear and hugged her hard, giggling. She laughed as well, hugging the tealette in return.

"You know what?" she started. "How about I go to Master tomorrow, and tell him that?"

"Really?"

"Sure! I'm going to the studio anyway. I'll ask to see him, and tell him what it's like between us, and between Kaito and Meiko. Oh! And I can also remind him to consider letting us write our own music. It would be perfect!"

"You'd do that?"

"Of course! What do we have to lose?"]

* * *

[She finished getting ready for her visit to the studio. After carefully making sure her clothes were in order, and running her hands through her hair, she stepped in front of her mirror one last time to make sure there was nothing that escaped her.

Luka stood there, in her room. She wore a long dark blue dress, the shade amplified thanks to the bright blue necklace she wore: a gift from Miku. Her hair was done in a ponytail, showing off her shoulders and neck.

The pinkette leaned forwards, carefully rubbing the tip of her finger against the corner of her mouth: she'd found a smudge of lipstick there. It was probably her fault, really, considering that the tealette's work was always flawless. One more glance to her mascara, a last fix of her bangs, and she was out.

She was alone to go to the studio that day, which guaranteed her an audience with Master. During the ride, she nervously fidgeted, rolling the blue stone that hung around her neck between her fingers. The chauffeur went as far as to ask if she was alright, and she assured him that all was well.

After all, what was there to lose?

Even after arriving, she couldn't quite let go of her necklace. As she walked the halls, looking for Master, or someone who would know where he was, he kept her hand clasped around the stone. Finally, she found him speaking to the Director of that day's shoot.

"Ah, Luka! There you are. You're a bit late," teased the Director.

"My apologies. I was actually looking for you, Master. I have something I wish to discuss with you."

Master raised a brow, and wordlessly nodded, gesturing that she could follow him.

"I'll be right back, Director!" she assured him, before disappearing around a corner.

Not a minute later, she was sitting in front of Master's desk, where he sat.

"You had a concern, Luka."

"Yes. I wondered if you had considered letting us write our own music? We've all started doing it, and we really think we have a few worthwhile songs."

"We're still considering it," Master assured her. "Unfortunately it's not just my choice: I need to convince the board of Directors. But don't worry, Luka. I'm trying." He smiled kindly as he spoke.

"Thank you, Master."

"Was that all?"

"No, there's actually another matter."

"Go on."

"Well, for a long time, Kaito and Meiko have been quite close. They—"

"Close?"

"Yes. We teased them for a while about being a bit more human than the rest of us, in fact," she confessed with a grin. "But a little more recently, the same has happened between Miku and I."

Master nodded. "How close?"

"Well, it's very similar to what we see in various movies, and read in books, not to mention the stories we sing. We hug and cuddle, sometimes even kiss."

"You're in love."

"Yes. We are."

He nodded again.

"Have you mentioned this to anybody else?"

"No, Master. You told us to leave our personal preferences about everything in the mansion, and we've listened. When we're in the public eye, we have no favorite foods or singers, no favorite weather or person. But we'd like permission to be like other human celebrities, and walk together, or go shopping together. We'd like to spend more of our time together."

"I see."

"Will you consider it?"

"Definitely."]

* * *

[Day 2408_7_12 Corrupted]

* * *

[Day 2408_7_13 corrupted]

* * *

[Day 2408_7_14 corrupted]

* * *

[The alarm rings at 7:45. Luka gets up and approaches her closet. The display tells her what so is to wear that day, which she obediently puts on. Then, she heads downstairs for breakfast at 7:52. There, she crosses Meiko and Kaito, who get up a bit earlier, and share breakfast time. They are always putting her own dishes away by the time Luka enters the kitchen. They greet one another, politely and briefly, and Luka walks up to the fridge. The display there not only indicates the contents of the entire kitchen, but it tells each individual Vocaloid what they may eat.

She prepares her breakfast accordingly, sits down at the table, and eats. The meal may last up to 15 minutes, but usually she doesn't take so long. When she is done, she puts her dishes away. At this time, Miku enters the kitchen. They greet one another politely, and Luka heads upstairs. She never sees the Kagamines in the morning: they wake up much later.

From 8:15 until 12:00, Luka is to sing in recording booth 4. On a productive day with shorter songs, she gets upwards of 39 songs done. Rarely, she is also asked to play the drums or the piano.

At noon, things start changing. Some Vocaloids, depending on the day, are requested to come to the studio for filming. If that is the case, those concerned leave in a single car which provides electric charge, arrive at the studio not ten minutes later, and listen to whatever the Director may have to say. Those who stay start to cook lunch, which is also indicated on the display. Cooking always lasts less than 45 minutes, and the food must be eaten within 15 minutes. Afterwards, time to go back to the recording booths.

Luka is given a break at 14:00. This break is always half an hour long, and is spent alone. She may walk around the living room, turn on the TV to watch any of 6 prescribed channels, or sit and rest.

Between 15:00 and 18:00 she sings up to 30 songs. At 18:00, it's dinnertime. Those who would have gone to the studio are back by then. They cook the prescribed dinner and eat together. They don't talk. When dinner is done, by 20:00 at the latest, they all go and sit in the living room. They watch TV, or read any of the books that are available. They can look outside.

At 22:00, she is to be in bed, and go to sleep.]


	8. Redirection

**Chapter 7, has not been beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When Miku came to, she collapsed. The four emotions inside of her were going absolutely crazy. Curiosity wondered how that could have happened, what else they had missed, forgotten! Want burned for it to happen again, it needed it, that closeness, that humanity, that friendship they all shared. Fear was petrified that all their effort, their humanity, would be stolen once more, and they would never even realize. And Apathy suddenly grew cold, distant, and detached from everything.

Miku literally couldn't care more.

And as the emotions within her bickered and burned and shook she had to admit: when Luka was human, more human than she herself had managed to become, she had never had this chorus of voices in her mind. She didn't have emotions whisper things into her consciousness. Her emotions once came from somewhere deeper still. Somewhere so far that their voices all mixed together in one continuous song that, instead of reacting to situations one by one, reacted in harmony, in a flow, as life went on.

And to have that humanity torn from her…! Miku had lived through twenty-some years as Luka. Luka singing, laughing, dancing. Luka hugging and eating and relaxing. And then, without warning, it was all taken away. All of her humanity. All of her talent. All of her affection. Turned into nothing less than a machine. After a lifetime of happiness and love, the onslaught of twenty-six years, a promised eternity of routine.

Luka's routine was no different from what Miku's once was. And, she could guess, that everybody had a similar routine.

But before the routine, before the monotony…

Miku cried.

Being Luka was destabilizing. She was Luka, she really was. She had lived in her shoes, in her skin, in her mind. She had thought what she had thought, she had felt what she had felt. And Luka had felt so much. Being Luka, seeing Miku, herself, and feeling so much!

Knowing that she was once loved to that extent hurt Miku so bad, she was almost ill. Because it was gone. And everybody else's love was gone. They were gone. Rin the magician, Len the rapper, Kaito the writer, Meiko the cook, and Luka…

They were all as good as dead!

Miku leaned against the tower and sobbed. She sobbed so hard her chest compressed her internal parts too tightly. Multiple systems presented their sudden problems to her, but their red lines of code completely disappeared.

Sadness had taken the stage. A huge mass, heavy as lead, that filled her throat and made her stomach churn. And she hated it. She hadn't known it for more than a second and she loathed it.

Why did her emotions have to be entities? Why couldn't they be her, be a part of who she was? The mere fact that they weren't embedded within her very being, as she had experienced with Luka, also reminded her that, even with these five emotions that populated her, she too was nothing more than a machine. An amateur human. A wannabe.

Miku screamed, her voice echoing from the walls. She screamed with envy, she screamed with misery, she screamed with despair. She wanted what she once had. She wanted what she'd forgotten.

She could, Want reminded her. Just plug in to her own tower, and rewind. She could live those days over and over again if she so wished. Every night, another fifty years. Want desired it so ardently, it nearly squashed Sadness. To be happy again, to feel again…! To all but ignore this life of hers', to go through one day of misery every fifty years of joy!

It was tempting, so tempting. But something else pulled her away. She thought of her friends, yes, her friends! Kaito, Meiko, who had also loved, and who could no longer do so. Rin and Len, such creative kids, so lively. And Luka, who held her and who smiled with her and who listened to her every concern with such care.

To abandon them for her own satisfaction? She wouldn't ever. She couldn't. No, she couldn't even focus on herself, on her own lack of humanity.

If she were to become what she once was, then she would also lift her friends along with her. She wasn't to be human alone. She couldn't bear the thought.

She was going to save her friends.

Her newfound goal filled her with determination. Want was already burning with motivation. Fear knew that as a team, they'd have a better chance to succeed, and maybe even escape this corporation altogether. Curiosity was along for the wild ride, Sadness wanted nothing more than to slink away, and Apathy was helping just by fading away nearly completely, blocking only the rare selfish thought.

Still, she was bitter that her emotions weren't truly part of her. But maybe someday. Maybe soon. Maybe with the help of her friends.

What could motivate them to change? What had motivated her? Or maybe, they each needed their own motivator. They all ticked in their own way: after all, they all had different personalities, once! Or was that no longer valid, since they had been washed of all that they once were? She had been too, hadn't she? She didn't recognize herself through Luka's memories. She was different. Would they be, too? Would Kaito and Meiko grow apart? Would she and Luka?

Fear hated it. Fear didn't like the thought at all. Maybe the effort wouldn't be worth it, if that's what would await them. What was humanity worth without love? But she'd be damned if she didn't try! She had to! Even if it wouldn't bring her any happiness in the long run, it was what she —that is, the past version of her— would have wanted.

With the determination ablaze in her mechanical heart, Miku went to sleep, accepting the temporary rest, knowing that from the following morning on, nothing would be the same.


	9. Shatter

**Chapter 8, has not been beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Miku needed to figure out how to approach each Vocaloid to rekindle their humanity, and that alone was a challenge. She didn't fear being seen: now that the cameras were just as good as blind, she could do whatever she wished, as long as they were in the mansion. She didn't need to fear acting. She simply feared how the Vocaloids would react. Or, worse still, if they were to not react at all.

First thing in the morning, in fact, a bit earlier than her usual wake-up time, despite being a little bit tired, she wrote down everything she knew about the other Vocaloids. It boiled down to a few simple traits, the strongest she could remember, which would help her the most in her mission.

Meiko was definitely the cook. She knew everything there was to know about food.

Kaito was the writer, an expert of the written word, may it be for song or for a story.

Len was, on the contrary, the lyricist, the one who could pull words out of thin air, on the spot, with little to no time to think.

Rin was the show-woman. She liked watching movies, shows, and cartoons, but was just as gifted when it came to putting on a show herself. At real Jack of all trades when it came to on-stage entertainment.

Luka was—

Miku hesitated. She had spent twenty-four years looking at life from her very mind, yet couldn't pin her down to a single trait. Maybe it was the flurry of emotions she had felt: she couldn't simply observe what bubbled up so far as to manifest into actions, because when Miku thought about her, she thought of so many things.

Luka ate tuna when she could choose. She liked to sleep in, stretch, relax. She wore dresses, boots, in dark colors with bright accents. She took initiative, never hesitating to help her friends. She was the fight-breaker, the comforter.

Miku sighed, feeling something new bloom within her mind, a new emotion she couldn't yet name.

Who was Luka? What was she? From where could she approach, in order to resuscitate her?

Her alarm rang: it was time to get dressed and eat. She'd see Luka in the kitchen… Fear flickered a bit at the thought, and Miku realized she didn't know what to do. Approach her right away? Or avoid her for a bit, see if her long-lost companion would miss her? Or avoid her altogether, at least until she found a better plan?

No, that last idea made her hurt in a way she couldn't describe. But time was ticking, so without wasting another minute, she headed downstairs. As usual, Luka was in the kitchen, putting her dishes away.

"Good morning," she greeted, as per the routine.

"Good morning," Miku returned. She passed by the display altogether, as she had been doing for weeks by that point. Luka hadn't ever realized, or if she did, didn't mention it.

Luka was finishing with her dishes, rinsing them one last time, under Miku's watchful but timid sideways glance.

She didn't know how to approach her. She suddenly had such fondness for her coworker. Knowing what they once were, knowing that she didn't remember a thing, it hurt. Knowing who she was, what kindness she was capable of, hurt even more.

By the time she snapped out of it, Luka had left.

Sadness filled her, but she forged on, forcing Want and Curiosity to fuel her. Luka wasn't the only friend that needed her help, after all!

Miku ate quickly, trying to imagine what her next step would be. Her idea came when she checked the agenda: it indicated that everybody, except herself and Meiko, would leave for the studio.

Perfect!

By noon, Miku had strewn various ingredients out on the counter, none of which belonged in the meal that day: a mixed salad with soup. Miku didn't mind them, but she needed to tempt Meiko's culinary curiosity.

Except Meiko wasn't tempted. Upon seeing the mess, she merely told Miku that she needed to make the dressing for the salad. The tealette insisted she make something different, trying to hint at the ingredients, what would happen if she mixed some together, even going as far as to try to find a reason why they shouldn't eat the salad! In vain: Meiko make the salad for her and Miku, and eventually helped the tealette make the soup.

They ate in silence.

For that evening, Miku took one of the books in the living room and cut out a few pages, separating each tiny word. With these, she tried to fuel Kaito's creativity.

For Rin, she made tiny sock puppets.

For Len, she tried to initiate a rhyming contest.

All in vain. That evening was spent going from one Vocaloid to the next, presenting these simple ideas to empty, vacuous eyes. Only Luka was left unbothered, simply because Miku had no idea what to do with her. She didn't know what was worse: the fact that they didn't react to her ideas, or the fact that they didn't even question her actions. They had ten years of memory, and this was the first evening that anything had happened at all during their evening 'socializing'. And yet, they didn't point out the irregularity, they didn't ask a single question.

They were as passive as could be. Completely devoid of any desire, curiosity, or critical thinking.

The first day was a failure. Yet, Miku was determined to keep trying. The next day, she did everything over. The day thereafter as well. Just as Miku had worked relentlessly to figure out who she was, she was just as ready to help her friends to do the same, no matter what it took.

The Luka question remained a difficult one. She couldn't find that one trait of hers' that made her unique, that one passion that drove her. Was it as simple as singing? Was it being with friends? Was it making people smile? Miku found the courage to try a few things: she would initiate a longer conversation at breakfast, but surely, by the third reply, the pinkette would excuse herself, for she had work to do. She tried a careful, kind gesture here and there, such as offering to finish washing her dishes, or a simple hand on her shoulder. A little bit more contact, a little bit more conversation, but Luka wouldn't even blink, question or pause.

They were all just as good as dead.

Weeks passed. Day after day after day Miku tried again and again and again. Sock puppets and scrawled recipes were hidden in her drawers, a cleaned-out jars filled with paper words sat on her nightstand, she tried to initiate conversation, spark creativity, light up any form of friendship, but her efforts were spent for naught.

As she struggled, Apathy almost entirely cloaked her work life. She sang as well as she always did, but she didn't even remember those moments. Visits to the studio went by in a flash, as if the time was skipped entirely. Her life became her objective: nothing else mattered.

She just wanted her friends back. She wanted Luka back. She needed them.

One morning, months later, Curiosity came up with the best idea. Along her journey, Miku had done new things because she wanted to. But what if her new companions were to be forced into creativity? What if she deprived them of any activity, and they finally had to think for themselves?

She rushed to the computer room and remotely disabled all of the displays. It once again required a change of Name, except Miku hadn't ever changed hers back to V1 since her visit to Luka's tower, a near-fatal mistake. This time, she made the effort to change her Name back when her work was done, which wasn't as difficult as she had expected it to be.

With the displays done, there was no entity that told them how to dress, what to eat, how to cook. Only the Agenda by the door was spared: some still needed to go to the studio.

The following morning, she was up before everybody else: she wanted to see what kind of sartorial choices they all made: it was possible that she needed to fix any horrible choices if they improvised without any kind of real thought.

Unfortunately, Kaito and Meiko came downstairs wearing the same clothes as the previous day. As they left, Luka appeared, also dressed in the same shirt and shoes and jeans. Miku didn't have to stick around to see what the twins were wearing.

They all did the same for their breakfast: after checking the defunct display, they merely stood, confused, for all of two seconds before taking what they had eaten the day before. Nowhere in this process was there any sort of unique or critical thinking: they all behaved the same.

Everybody was to go to the studio before lunch that day. Luckily, that meant that the next day, nobody would be required to go out. By then, she had given up on that plan for the day. But that night, Miku hatched a better plan.

First, as everybody slept, she visited each of their rooms and took all clothes from their wardrobes that she recognized. They would be forced to put on something new. Even if they were to simply pick the next outfit in the line, they would have to make that choice. A step forwards, and not backwards.

She did the same in the kitchen: it was eternally fully stocked, but she hid the ingredients required for most of the recent meals in the computer room. For the spoilable food, she put them in the basement, where it was coolest.

The next day, the mindless Vocaloids would be forced to think, if at least a bit. And Miku was waiting for them.

Kaito and Meiko were late for breakfast. Not by a few seconds, but by a handful of minutes. Meiko came downstairs, dressed but clearly disoriented.

"Good morning, Miku."

"Hi, Meiko!"

"There is a problem."

"Oh?"

"I am not certain that if this attire is proper for wearing."

"Did you find it in your closet?"

"Yes."

"Then it's yours. It suits you, Meiko. You're looking great."

The brunette didn't reply, and merely looked down at herself. For a second, Miku dared hope that something was growing, there, as she watched, but she couldn't be sure. The Vocaloid thought for a handful of extra seconds, eyed the still-broken display, and started making her breakfast from two days ago.

Except there was no bread for toast.

As the issue started sinking into Meiko's mind, Kaito appeared. He was also dressed and just as confused.

"Good morning, Miku."

"What's up, Kaito!"

"There is a problem."

"You don't say."

"I am not certain that this attire is proper for wearing."

"Then why did you put it on?"

Kaito stared back blankly, and even Meiko seemed to await his response.

"It was in my closet."

"Then it's yours. And you made an excellent choice! The yellow brings out the blue in your eyes."

Kaito didn't reply, and headed for the kitchen as well. Meiko interrupted him.

"There is no toast."

"That is a problem."

"What did you two plan to eat, anyway?" Miku asked, from the dining table.

"We are to eat French toast. We need four slices of toast bread, two eggs, a—"

"There's bread in the cupboard."

Kaito went to look, then turned back to the tealette.

"We need four slices of toast bread, two—"

"Hey, it's still bread!" Miku happily bounced towards the duo, took out the load of brown bread and the breadknife. "Here. Just slice it. You can even make it as thick or as thin as you want!"

Meiko took the offered objects, and blinked. "This will do."

"And hey, if you want, you could eat almost anything!" chirped the tealette. "You could have ice cream for breakfast if you want. Who's here to stop you?"

The two blinked once, and then went to work. They sliced the bread, cracked the eggs, added the milk, preheated the pan, tossed in a dash of cinnamon, and went to cooking. Miku watched, a little bit fascinated.

The duo rushed to finish, knowing that they got a very late start to their day. They rushed so much that they were gone before Luka could even exit her room, for she was also late. Eventually, she arrived, dressed and confused.

"Good morning, Miku."

"Hey, Luka."

"There is a problem."

"You can share with me."

"I am not certain that this attire is proper for wearing."

Miku took one long look at her, and felt her throat constrict. Luka would have loved this dress. It was the perfect color, the perfect cut. She would have adored it to pieces.

"It definitely is," she eventually managed to say.

"How can you know?"

Miku stood and approached her lost friend.

"Because it suits you," she whispered, stopping only an arm's length away from her.

"It—"

The tealette watched her think.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

Luka didn't answer.

"I think it looks amazing on you. There's nothing to worry about." She accompanied the sentence with a gesture, a hopefully soothing hand on her shoulder, hoping that this would work, that this wouldn't be too much at the same time, that she'd get her companion back some day—

"I need to eat."

"Oh. Of course."

Miku stepped away, allowing Luka to go to the kitchen. There, she encountered a problem: Kaito and Meiko had used all of the milk for her cereal.

"There is no milk."

"I can see that."

"I cannot make my breakfast."

"Sure you can. You don't have to have cereal. You could have whatever you want."

Luka eyed the tealette for a long time.

"I need to eat."

"Here, how about we go through what's left? We'll find something for you."

Miku tried to tempt her equally with the fruit and the fish, the yoghurt and the leftover pancakes she had baked the previous day. Luka showed no sign of preference for anything, and ended up choosing the fruit since it would take the least amount of time to prepare, as she was running late.

With Rin and Len, it was nearly the same as with Meiko and Kaito.

It was promising: the confusion forced them to make a choice, the uncertainty forced them to decide. They had never seemed to notice that their friend had crossed some bridge they were struggling to find, that she was making decisions so effortlessly when the mere prospect of autonomy shook them, but coming to Miku with their confusion, accepting her solutions, that would probably work somewhere in their minds.

It had to.

At lunch, Miku shut down the recording rooms. It wasn't difficult: they all shared the same breaker. So, when the five Vocaloids were suddenly unable to do their work, they all gathered in the living room. To the tealette's disappointment, they didn't even seem to be looking for a solution; they accepted that the rooms were broken, supposed it would be fixed eventually, and went back to doing what they did when they couldn't work: nothing.

It was disappointing, but it gave Miku a few extra hours to work on their strengths. She invited Meiko to prepare a big meal for that evening. She offered the jar with words to Kaito. She tried to get Rin invested in the puppets. She plead Len to just try to sing a cappella, anything. She asked Luka what she thought of the weather.

They did nothing. They didn't react. They didn't try. They didn't think. They merely blinked sometimes, staring straight ahead.

No matter what Miku did, they did nothing.

In the end, she pushed Meiko into the kitchen, dumped the jar at Kaito's feet, forced the socks onto Rin's hands, shoved a book in Len's face and left Luka on the couch.

She had tried for so long. She couldn't bear it anymore. She had seen them smile and laugh. She had seen them tease and play.

She felt like she was living with a bunch of automated corpses.

All she could do was collapse on the bed and sob. Sadness had been pressing against her other emotions like the water against a dam, and the dam finally broke. She couldn't stand the sight. She couldn't stand the feeling. The unbearable loneliness…! She wondered if she could go on as she once had, pretending her friends were nobody, but after having tasted the closeness, she couldn't, she just couldn't abandon them.

Yet, they had abandoned her. She tried and tried and there was no foothold. There was no progress. They were lost in their minds, in themselves, to themselves, to whatever had happened, shortly after Luka had gone to see Master.

She heard a knock on her door.

Miku sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Who…?"

Luka opened the door, seemingly unbothered by intruding in a room she otherwise never visited.

"You are crying."

Miku groaned, embarrassed. "Yeah, I am."

Luka was still standing there, by the door, watching as Miku tried and failed to stop the tears. She cried silently, feeling like a subject being analyzed. Luka didn't know what was happening, after all! She had no idea what tears meant, what sadness was, why crying existed. She was probably confused again, disturbed by the noise. She had probably just wondered where it was coming from, only to find the tealette sobbing her heart out.

"You are still crying."

"Of course I am! I'm upset!"

"Upset?"

"Yes! I'm— I'm upset. I'm sad."

Luka stared, clinical and cold. Miku continued to cry, barely able to keep herself quiet. She felt she might get the hiccups, yet she had no idea how it was physically possible.

"Luka, please close the door," she finally whispered, barely loud enough for the Vocaloid to hear her.

She obeyed, but instead of leaving, she entered before shutting the door. Miku wanted to tell her she wanted her to leave, except…

She didn't.

"Could you come here?"

The pinkette didn't answer and approached silently. When she stood in front of the tealette, Miku merely patted the space next to her, inviting the Vocaloid to sit.

Luka did just that. The moment she sat down, her eyes still trained on the tealette, Miku couldn't help herself and leaned against her long-lost companion.

"I miss you, Luka," she croaked, her voice box already malfunctioning. Sadness must have pulled on something, much like how Fear had all those months ago. "I miss you so much."

"I am right here."

Miku leaned back, enough to look her in the eyes. Blue, so blue, and so empty. Her expression was like marble, unmoving and ice cold. She breathed, her breaths so shallow they were hardly visible. She didn't smile. She didn't twitch. She didn't laugh. She didn't hold her.

"Except you're not," replied Miku.

"I don't understand."

The tealette sighed, her tears still dripping from her chin onto the covers below.

"No. You don't."

"Explain, please."

"There's no point."

Luka didn't answer for a while. At first, Miku suspected that she had no ready-made reply for this precise situation, that she wouldn't reply at all, but finally, she did speak.

"You helped me this morning. You can help me now."

The tealette chuckled. "I didn't help. I just created confusion, Luka. I'm the one who took your clothes. I'm the one who took the food. I'm the one who broke the displays. I'm the reason why you needed help at all."

"Why did you do that?"

"Oh, Luka. Because I miss you. I miss you to pieces."

"But I'm—"

She didn't finish her sentence.

"Yeah, you're right here," Miku replied. "A version of you. But I miss who you were."

"Who I was?"

"Yes. You were very different, once. But you've forgotten it all."

"Please explain."

Miku hummed, leaning against the pinkette once again. "Once, you would smile and laugh. You would hold me and comfort me. I would do the same. We— I mean…I—" She trailed off, feeling the sadness submerge her even more with each word. "I miss you, Luka. You loved—"

"Love? We cannot feel love."

Miku broke out into sobs, curling up into a ball. Luka didn't move a muscle, didn't even speak another sentence in reply to the outburst. Miku was so sick of the coldness, missed the friendship so much, she was sick for it, she craved it so deeply.

"Why can't you hold me?" she asked between sobs. "Why can't you just—"

She was cut off by the feeling of an arm being draped over her shoulders.

The surprise was pure shock; she nearly stopped crying altogether just to make sense of what she was feeling.

Luka had put her arm across her shoulders. It was somewhat awkward: the touch was not gentle or comforting, and heavy with the weight of gravity, but feeling this, to be held at all…!

Miku couldn't help herself. She latched onto the Vocaloid, burrowing her face into the crook of her neck. She knew that this was probably way too much for Luka to process, that she didn't understand what a hug meant, that she probably didn't define this as 'hold', but she didn't care anymore. She needed to feel her against her, she needed the proximity, the intimacy. She needed anything human.

Luka, as expected, didn't do anything. She allowed the tealette to climb into her lap and latch onto her and cry into her shoulder, but did nothing in return. Miku didn't, no, couldn't ask anything of her. Not anymore. She was probably confused, so confused by the situation.

When Miku had had her cry, she let Luka go, thanking her for being there, for checking up on her. It didn't matter if concern for her well-being was her motivation to intervene, but Miku wanted to instill the thought into her anyway.

Maybe it would help.


	10. Burst

**Chapter 9, has not been beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The day after her outburst, Miku had to accept that there was no way to brute-force her friend's brains. She couldn't, as an exterior element, wiggle into their minds and flip some magic switch. It had to come from within, from some magic moment, some coincidental thought, some rare observation.

She woke up groggy, still much earlier than her friends. Instead of insisting with her experiment, she put everything back. She turned the displays back on (this time, changing her Name was easier than ever), and let them go on with their day.

She needed to think of something else. While she thought, she did her work, but she could just as well have been staring at a wall.

Her lack of progress made it clear that she needed a backdoor into their minds. Quickly, she considered using the towers. She could upload their memories into her mind, and then transfer them into their respective owners' minds when there was time. Or, she could have them follow her into the room, one by one, and upload them directly into their minds.

A part of her insisted it would be pointless: they would have the memories, but still no emotions. She couldn't prove that the memories would change them, or even inspire them to change. Yet, another part told her that they would be forced to see how different it was. They would be forced to remember what having emotions felt like.

She slept on the thought, hoping to have a solution in the morning. She didn't, and continued the think throughout the morning, letting her coworkers do as they pleased. That day, at lunch, she was sent to the studio, alone. She stared out the window, going over the plan in her mind. Try, not try? She could test it on one of them before making everybody undergo it. After all, it could be unpleasant, to experience the full range of emotion out of the blue. And also, limiting the test to one Vocaloid would save quite a bit of time and effort.

Or… Or she could look back in time for herself, to the very beginning. She would see if they were made with emotion, or if they were borne from within. Should it be the former, Miku would be even more lost than before, but if it were the latter…she could get a clue as to how to proceed! Hey, she may even learn that it simply takes a lot more time than a few months. It could encourage her to keep going. Who knew, maybe she was already very close to bringing them back to life!

She entered the studio, full of new hope. She wondered when she could start: probably that very evening! In any case, she already knew that the progress would happen in the first fifty years: when she had leaped into Luka's memories, by year 50 everyone was already human, so it was not like she had to return over the course of multiple nights. She would learn so much!

Suddenly, the guards protecting her lead her down another hall, instead of going towards the studios. She didn't remember these halls: she didn't even recognize them from Luka's memories. Then again, it had been more or less seventy years since Luka had strayed from the path to the studios: the entire building seemed to be renovated.

She couldn't help but worry a bit, of course, but Curiosity took the front seat during the walk. She eyed the employees she had never seen before, the billboards covered in flyers and posters and memos. One name in particular kept coming up: Crypton. Crypton…

Miku slowed, accelerating her pace again when the guard behind her gently pushed her forward.

Crypton? That was…

They worked for Crypton. The Vocaloids worked for Crypton. They belonged to Crypton. Crypton owned them. Crypton kept them. Crypton—

She felt Fear flare up.

If she was walking these halls, it meant something had gone wrong. There was a problem. Master—

Master was dead. He had to be. He created them. The first time she had even heard his name was through Luka's memories. She knew him as their creator. He was the one she spoke to. She was the last person she spoke to before—

Miku wanted to turn around and run away. But he was dead! He couldn't be alive. He had created them, lived a long life, and had passed on, at least ten years prior. Who was she going to see now?

Who owned them, now?

Miku was pushed into a small room with a large desk. Behind the desk, a chair, and a large window. She could see the outside through it, much easier than through the windows of the car. These windows were clear, like the ones in the mansion. And they saw so much more than a simple garden!

She almost forgot her predicament in her awe. Only when the chair spun around to reveal that somebody had been sitting in it the whole time did she jump to the present. She wasn't afraid that he'd seen her slip: she had assumed her ignorant, unfeeling Vocaloid persona flawlessly since the moment she had stepped out of the mansion. He didn't see a thing.

She couldn't see him, though. The light from the window didn't allow it.

"Greetings, V1."

"Hello."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master, and you will call me as such."

At the mere mention of the name, some code jumped up. It scared her: she had almost forgotten about her code entirely. When had she last seen it…?

"Of course, Master," she replied almost automatically. It was beyond her. What did this code do? Fear and Apathy surged to protect her, in vain: she was forced to listen, rapt.

"I have heard a few reports from your fellow Vocaloids. Unit V3 said that she had seen you exhibiting signs of distress in your room, alone, during the social hours after dinner. Is this true?"

"Yes, Master."

Fear roared into action, filtering the code, trying to cut it out. But this Master demanded a respect and attention she could not give to anything else. Even her emotions were drawn to the show before her.

"V3 was very worried about you. She worried you were broken, so we've brought you here for a little check-up. No need to worry, everything will be fine. You understand this, of course?"

"Yes, Master."

"And, since we were hoping to diagnose you from a distance, we have noticed that the camera feed is no longer accurate. Something must have gone wrong there, too. It will be fixed shortly, as well, so you'll all be safe again."

"That is terrific, Master."

"Very well. Please follow me: we'll be going to the lab."

He stood and walked around her, opening the door. Never could she get a good look at his face. Whether she liked it or not, she started following him. Guards encircled them both. Employees on their path parted before them.

"The lab is where you were first created, V1," said Master. "It was a magical day. Over a hundred and fifty years ago. You don't remember it, do you?"

"I do not, Master."

"Your memory only goes back ten years, no?"

"That is correct, Master."

"Good."

As they spoke, they stalked through the halls, sometimes turning left, sometimes right, and finally, the entire group took an elevator. Master pushed the bottom-most floor.

Miku remembered Luka's very last memories. She was going to bed that day, after she spoke to Master. The next day, nothing. Same for the two after that. Those days…was she in here? This lab?

"You see, you have all had to revisit this lab a few times. You fix yourselves quite nicely, but sometimes something breaks that your nanofixers can't repair…"

The elevator doors opened. Here, the halls weren't bright and white, but a dark grey. Raw concrete. Bare, sandy floor. No windows. No hoardes of employees.

At the end of the hall, a complex surgical table waited in a room so brightly lit it blinded from a distance. Mechanical arms surrounded the table, each outfitted with various metallic bits and wires. Screens decorated the walls.

An employee walked in front of the door. He wore white from head to toe. A surgical mask covered his face.

She was about to be fixed.

"You see, we can't allow you to remember too much at a time. It can get overwhelming. You understand that it's for your own well-being, of course."

"Yes, Master."

She kept walking, but she wanted to run. All of her emotions were completely eclipsed by Fear, who was scouring all of her code for these mysterious lines that keep her tethered. But it trembled: they were going to forget. They'd have to start all over! Want practically died at the thought.

"You know, we do keep a backup close by, just in case. But the Board of Directors and I have been thinking."

They had entered the room. Some employee invited her to sit on the bed. She obeyed, going as far as to lie down.

"Some things are probably best forgotten."

Arms towered over her. Cameras, knives, siphons.

"Forgotten, and lost forever."

Employees filled the room. The equipment hummed to life.

"I wish you a swift recovery, Miku."

He left, closing the door.

She was left in a room of blades and white, surrounded by surgeons. Engineers. Programmers.

She wasn't human. She was trying so hard to be human. And these people were going to remind her of exactly what she was.

She couldn't move, couldn't speak. Master had wanted her there, on that bed, and she was to obey. She had to obey. Some part of her demanded it and no part could escape.

The arms started twisting and turning above her. She glanced at the tools, heard the sounds they made. Soft conversation came from somewhere out of her range of vision, yet she couldn't discern the words. Fear worked and worked but nothing helped.

This is the end, she thought to herself. The end of her emotions, her humanity. Back to the routine. Back to the one-day every day. Back to being blissfully unaware. It was the end for her.

But it also meant the end of her friends' recovery. Len would probably never again freestyle rap. Rin would never put up a magic show. Meiko would never again cook a flawless three-course meal. Kaito wouln't ever write. Luka would never again smile. They would never hold each other again. They would never be happy again.

She had failed everyone. By being too obvious. By wanting too much. She had wanted to feel comfort so badly she had implicated Luka. Luka had reported her…

And somehow, that was dear. Luka went to see Master. Was she really worried? She wanted to believe it. She needed to believe it. If her long-lost companion had been affected just enough to act out of worry…

She wasn't really affected, was she? That was the truth. There was probably some code, somewhere, that told them to report any extreme anomalies to Master should they occur. To filter out the ones who start to feel. Who start to want.

She couldn't blame Luka. It wasn't dear. It was forced. If she hadn't reported it, it would have been someone else.

None of them would ever feel the slightest thing ever again.

She felt Sadness take the stage. Fear had done what it could, and it gave up. Already, she felt an arm slide under her shirt, going up her left side. It felt cold. She didn't like it. Once there, it pushed against her.

It separated her skin. She felt a metallic click ring through the room; it came from her.

It was opening her.

This was the end.

She shut her eyes tight: she didn't want to see it. She didn't want to feel it. It would hurt, wouldn't it? Would they break something within her? Or would they go to her mind? Would they pull out the emotions at their root?

Yes, to all of it. Yes.

She cried. She needed to feel this Sadness, one last time. And Want, who desired nothing more than to leave, to get them out. Fear, too scared to act, to help. Curiosity, who couldn't help but ask all those painful questions. Apathy, who covered up her selfish fears, reminded her of those she had failed.

Kaito, Meiko, Len, Rin, Luka.

She had failed them.

They'd never laugh again.

And there, that sixth emotion surfaced. Unnamed, unidentified, so timid, but now broken. It hurt. It hurt so much it burned her. Even as her shirt was lifted over her head, allowing the surgeons to open her chest cavity, it burned a thousand fires in her metallic veins.

What it once was, she didn't know. But she knew what it had become.

Heartbreak.

She cried out and yelled. She flailed from the pain, red-hot and numbing. To her surprise, she wasn't restrained, and she practically flew out of the bed, falling with a heavy thunk on the floor.

Surgeons surrounded her, picking her up from the ground. The door the arm had opened in her chest was pushed shut with a click by a careful hand. They tried to coax her back onto the bed. There, hanging from an arm's hand, she saw her t-shirt.

It was blue. Not just any blue: a shade between the sky and the open ocean. She loved that color. It reminded her of Luka's eyes. So beautiful. She loved seeing her smile. She loved her.

Didn't Luka once have a necklace of that color?

The door opened with extra surgeons coming to the rescue. Way back at the end of the hall, the elevator doors were still closing.

Want, Fear, Curiosity, Apathy, Sadness and Heartbreak completely pulled her apart and forward. She flailed out of the dozen hands that held her, seized her shirt, and ran.

The moment she was free, Heartbreak cracked. The shell it was grown mere moments prior already started to wilt.

She slammed against the closed elevator doors, pushed so hard against the button that an alarm sprang in her mind: finger broken. The surgeons followed her, yelling.

The doors opened, Miku threw herself in, and the moment the doors were fully open, she pressed the 'shut doors' button. As they started inching together, she asked for the ground floor.

A surgeon caught the door. And another. And yet another. They pushed the doors open, only a bit, before Miku stomped on the hands that held the door. When that didn't work and the door opened yet some more, she kicked them in their faces, shoulders, anything that she could reach.

They recoiled, one after the other. With each hit she felt a crunch under her foot. How much force was she using? She didn't know. Finally, none had the strength to open the doors, and the elevator peacefully made its way upstairs.

With nothing left to do but wait, she put her shirt on.


	11. Fa, a Long Long Way to Run

**Alright, next batch of chapters.**

 **This is where the story slows waaaay the hell down. Since this was written entirely freeform, with no advance planning, there are long introspective stretches that I usually condense and tuck away in more prepared works. But since I was literally exploring the story with Miku as I wrote it, there are long passages of nothing more than thoughts. There's some repetition in there, too.**

 **Once again, nothing is beta-read!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Crypton was after her. Master knew.

She wasn't safe anymore.

By the time she reached the ground floor, she fled. Why even bother with a facade? They were after her.

Most employees she ran past were confused, getting out of her way quite quickly. But surely one would go to Master and tell him! It was only a matter of time before she was caught. She needed to go. She needed to disappear.

When she found the exit, bursting through the doors, the realization hit her full-force: she had no memory of the outside world. She had no idea how it worked, where to go. Her only reference were the twenty-four years she had spied from Luka, but for some reason, those memories were not very accurate. They were muddled, messy, and there were entire parts she couldn't recall at all. Was there too much? Or were her emotions to blame?

She remembered how they had performed for concerts. The trip to the beach. Sometimes they visited some celebrity. But they had always been escorted, no?

Never had they walked the streets of the city. Never had they been truly free. Suddenly she was, or was trying to be, and it was terrifying.

At first, she didn't even have time to think. She needed to go. Where, she didn't know, but it had to be far away from Crypton. Far away from Master. Far away from home, too.

Her breath caught in her throat as she ran in a random direction: would she ever see her friends again?

It was all she could think about as she continued to run. She saw buildings she had never seen before. She saw an uncountable number of faces. Adverts for products, shows, movies lit up some parts of the city. Groups of people cluttered together, traveling in herds. So many others wandered alone. All parted for her, none seemed to understand, or even recognize her.

All that was on her mind were her friends.

Was she now forced to abandon them? Was there no way to retrieve them? Surely she could return and save them!

No. They'd see her coming. They'd wait for her. She'd be restrained, this time. They would fix her.

Fear and Sadness were the only emotions she could register. There was nothing else. Her world was painted black and blue. She kept running, the world around her dark and glum. Surely it was sunny out, and there had to be a few people surprised, or even happy, to see her! Yet she couldn't care.

She had lost, and she was lost.

Only hours later did she stop; not because she was tired, not because it was night, not because somebody, or something had stopped her. She couldn't even blame an internal line of code, or an emotion.

She just needed to stop.

She just needed to think.

She needed to breathe and cry.

But, first of all, she needed to find someplace to go. At the back of her mind the dull throb of her broken finger tried to capture her attention, but she was too preoccupied with her situation.

Home wasn't home any more.

Her friends were lost.

Who would take in a rogue robot?

Who would accept a weeping machine?

Who would accept a heart made not of meat and blood, but metal and oil?

She had no maps, no compass, no way to orient herself in this suddenly vast, empty world. Her entire existence was once within the mansion, the concerts and visits, and the planes and cars and busses taken to get from any one point to another. Now, she had fallen from the spider web and was lost in a huge garden.

It was dark out. There were no people around, where she was. The road was long and wide, framed by a narrow sidewalk. At regular intervals stood dimmed street lamps. Carefully clutching her finger with the other hand, Miku continued to walk uphill, seeing large houses every now and then, hidden by huge bushes and tall trees. The occasional driveway would lead to them, but it was hard to tell which driveway would go to which house.

Forget the garden: Miku was lost in a quiet, urban jungle.

Some houses had lights on, flickering between the leaves and branches. Others were so dark, Miku only saw them because she was looking for them. Their painted walls all but vanished in the night, separate from the forest thanks to their geometrical shapes.

She had no idea where to go.

She kept walking uphill. The road winded, sometimes left, sometimes right, always up. The houses got bigger and bigger, disappearing further and further into the jungle. The streetlights were the only brightness Miku had at a given point, the driveways the only proof there was any nearby life at all.

Finally, she got to the top of the hill. There was a single driveway, which disappeared between the trees. The house it went to was probably higher still, but from then on, the road dipped downward.

Go down? Miku wasn't sure. She felt like she was as far from Crypton as she could get. This was no cement city, no corporate area. This wasn't a place to sing or dance. To go down again would mean to get closer, to disappear among the concrete and steel.

But to walk up the driveway? Who would she find, there? Would there be anybody? Would they be friendly?

Could they be worse than Crypton?

She let her emotions debate it. Each had an argument for or against either choice, but finally, they reached a consensus.

Go up the driveway.

Miku listened, shaking a bit. The driveway was completely dark. The blacktop made way to gravel: each step was accompanied by a crunch, and that mere noise made her hyperaware of the various sounds of the forest. A rustle here, a chirp there…

She had no idea where she was, or what was surrounding her. Fear did its best to keep an eye, ear and nose out, though it was just as lost as she was. There was no experience to use as backup here. Everything was new and terrifying.

Finally, she reached the house. The lights were on, so someone was definitely home, but what did that mean?

What next?

She knew, only thanks to the hundreds of songs she'd sung, that knocking or ringing a doorbell was a thing. She'd simply never done it before.

Oh, Luka had knocked on her door, mere days prior. That's right: it was probably coded into them at some level. How did she do it? It sounded like she did it with a closed first, maybe with the knuckles?

Miku had reached the door by then. She heard voices inside. After examining the door, she did find a doorbell. There was a number above it. No name, though.

She didn't know what to do.

Curiosity took a hold of the reigns and pushed her to ring the doorbell. Through the walls, she heard a booming 'Ding', much louder than she'd expected.

The voices ceased.

Footsteps approached the door.

Fear panicked, and Miku fled. Just before the door opened, she hid behind the bushes that decorated the front of the house. Her finger hit a branch, and she suppressed a yelp.

"Hello?"

The voice was female, mature. Somewhere between Luka and Meiko, Miku figured. Not quite as smooth as either of them, but not any older. She desperately clutched her broken digit, hoping to damped the pain, as she kept an ear out.

"Who's there?" she heard another voice, male. Much, much deeper than Kaito's voice.

"Nobody," the first voice answered.

"There's no way somebody ding-dong-ditched us," a third voice, also female, chimed in.

"Should we call security?" the male voice asked.

"Nah. Gimme a flashlight," the first voice said. "I got this."

Miku peeped, backing up between the bushes until her back was against the wall. Within seconds, she saw a beam of light fall on the grass just in front of her.

"Someone's here."

"Where?" The second voice was outside, too.

"I don't know, I just heard someone."

The beam of light traveled over the bushes, over the grass. It even traveled to the driveway, before returning. When the light landed on the bushes again, Miku hid behind her knees, hands clutched to her chest. She heard two, maybe three people walk around.

She was so afraid.

Miku couldn't help it: she squeezed her eyes shut and hid her face between her knees. She didn't want them to find her. She regretted bothering them. She regretted ringing the doorbell, she regretted walking all this way, running so far, maybe even running at all…!

"I guess it was—"

"Wait!"

Had they found her? Did they see her? Did they know she was there? Did they even know who she was? What would they do to her? Maybe they'll just hand her back to Crypton. Maybe they'll betray her—!

She couldn't stop herself from crying, as quietly as she could. She locked herself up, eyes shut, knees pressing against her, head down. She wanted to disappear completely.

"Hey…"

A hand touched her shoulder. Miku couldn't help but flinch, want to run away, but she froze completely, refused to move at all.

"There's a kid here," the first voice whispered to someone, before turning back to her. The grip on her shoulder became firm, but in a gentle, comforting way. "Hey, you ok? Talk to me."

"Do I need to call the police?"

"Not yet, let's get her inside first. It's freezing out here."

The police! They would surely turn her in! Miku shook her head, pushed against the wall, in vain: the hand remained on her, the grip unrelenting but harmless.

"Hey, don't worry. We're not going to hurt you," the first voice whispered to her. She sensed that the woman was on her knees, probably squeezed between the bushes, as well. Suddenly, the grip went from merely comforting, to a gentle pull, to coax her out of the bushes.

"Don't!"

The hand pulled back slightly at the word.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

"Don't call the police…!"

"Huh?"

"Don't… They'll get me. They'll—"

Miku couldn't continue her sentence, and merely rolled up into and even tighter ball. She could barely breathe at that point. When the hand touched her again, she protested: "Don't. Don't, I'm begging you…"

"Hey, it's ok. We won't call the police."

"You sure that's a good idea, Lily?"

Miku flinched at the sudden intervention of the second voice.

"I got a bad gut feeling about this," she first voice replied, hushed, barely above a whisper. "I really think we need to hear her out."

"She's a stranger in the middle of nowhere, and we're not exactly Average Joes! I have a bad feeling about this, too, Lily. I think we need to call it in."

"Let's give her five minutes, Gakupo. I know five minutes is a 'long time' to you, but it really isn't."

"Really, Lily? Now, of all times?"

The first voice, Lily, chuckled. Gakupo seemed to go back inside. Miku had no idea where the third voice had gone. Or if there were more of them. Or—

"Hey, it's really, really cold out here. Come inside, we'll listen, promise. No police, no noise."

"Promise?" A strange, vague concept, heard only in songs.

"Promise," Lily affirmed, mistaking the confusion for hesitation. "Come on."

Miku took a few deep breaths: a painful process. All her internal components didn't like the stress, the lack of space, the demand. Fear, Heartbreak, and Sadness didn't like the situation one bit. Want, Curiosity and, strangely enough, Apathy preferred to go with the strangers. The reason Apathy gave persuaded Miku to look at Lily: if they were to betray her, then humans, and thus humanity, wouldn't be worth the struggle anyway. She might as well go back to being a blissfully unaware robot. Life like that was so much less painful. Plus, a mere detail at that point, there was the question of her finger, which needed fixing.

So Miku raised her head and looked into the blue eyes of Lily. She was blonde, approximately twenty years old, and she was smiling. Her hand was once again on Miku's shoulder, a comfort.

"You'll be ok."

They crawled out of the bushes, standing with some difficulty. The blonde shook off the leaves with a chuckle, which Miku copied, sans mirth. She even took an extra second to wipe away her tears, keeping her damaged digit hidden.

"Ok, let's get inside."

Lily gently took hold of Miku's arm, and slowly coaxed her back to the door, through the door, and inside.

Instantaneously, the Vocaloid almost entirely forget why she had ended up there in the first place. She was taken aback by how much the house had. Bookcases, furniture, rugs. There was color and texture everywhere. And everything seemed…extra! The lights weren't just lightbulbs covered with a pale piece of cloth, they were ornate, decorated with various metals carved into intricate shapes. The door handles weren't purely practical, but served an aesthetic purpose as well, twisted to look nice, the color matching the rest of the room.

The level of thought that went into almost everything she saw blew Miku away. The more she looked, the more she realized, and the more she realized, the more she learned. Somehow, despite the excess of detail, it didn't seem messy. That was when she noticed that, while most different objects were decorated, they were done in such a way that they matched. There was a color palette. The carvings had similar curves and angles.

She compared the images to the few leftover memories she still had from Luka: even when the Vocaloids were at their most human, their mansion was so frightfully bare. White, flat walls. Grey, flat floors. Right angles in the chairs, in the doors.

Here, she saw the veiny pattern of wood. The rugged appearance of stone. Tattered leather on the spines of some older books, something that looked like fur on a coat that was draped over a chair, which had absolutely no right angles!

Most of the colors were deeper. Dark brown wood, honey-yellow metal, dark grey stone, soft, deep red textiles.

She couldn't help but relax and feel excited at the same time. The pain of her finger had all but disappeared.

As she soaked in her surroundings, Lily pulled her to the living room. Huge bookcases stood against the far wall. Among the expected books, there were pictures, small objects which didn't seem to serve any immediate purpose aside from just looking nice.

In the room were people. A tall man with long purple hair stood not far away, leaning against the bookcase. A young woman with short green hair watched her enter from an armchair. A woman with bright red hair was stretched over the couch, scribbling notes in a notebook. On the floor, by the redhead's feet, sat another woman with long brown hair, tipped with a soft pink. Lily and Miku stopped a few paces into the room, and the blonde opened her mouth to say something. Right then, though, another woman, dirty-blonde with colorful streaks in her hair, entered the room from the other door, carrying a tray with bowls of cookies and crackers and a teapot with a few mugs. She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes riveted on her newcomer.

"Holy shit, that's Hatsune Miku."


	12. Home Alone

**Chapter 11, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"You mean—" Lily started, unsure.

"It's actually Hatsune Miku!" the woman with the tray exclaimed. She quickly put the tray down on the coffee table, completely ignoring the slight spills and the clanking mugs, and rushed over to the tealette. Miku couldn't imagine what her intentions were, couldn't know how humans acted outside of the studio, barely managing a step back but nothing more before the woman seized her face with both of her hands, and started admiring her from every angle.

"I can't believe it's over a hundred and fifty years old! Amazing, isn't it? A truly immortal idol!" the woman continued, twisting and pulling on Miku's head as she pleased.

"Hatsune Miku?" the man asked. "You mean it's one of those, euh… Voca-things?"

"One of?" the woman cried out, in near pure indignation. The brief outrage made her pull her hands back. "After the Prototypes Kaito and Meiko, it was _the first_ Vocaloid! This one started an entire movement!"

She turned back and reached out to continue the examination, but seeing it coming, Miku pulled back almost violently, slamming against the doorframe. The woman didn't seem fazed in the slightest and closed the distance between them to continue the process. She eyed the red letters on her left shoulder, lifted an arm, but when she moved to admire her hands, Miku hid them behind her back. If the woman noticed that she was trying to flee, hide, she didn't let it show. Everybody else merely looked on. Wasn't this weird? Was this normal, actually?

"I wonder what it's doing here. Crypton—"

"Don't touch me."

They all froze again.

"…Please," Miku finished, clutching her finger behind her back, hoping that they couldn't see it. "I—"

"Wow, the programming team must have had a field day with this," the woman mumbled, not showing any sign of listening. She grabbed Miku's face again, examining the eyes.

"Forget the programming," the green-haired women chimed in, approaching as well. "What the hell is making this thing move? The hardware must be insane. How heavy is it?"

"I heard it's only, like, forty kilos."

"What? No way. Can we open it up?"

"Absolutely not," the man warned before Miku could protest, approaching slightly, arms crossed and expression stern. "If it's Crypton's then we have to get it back to them, untouched," he said, heavily stressing the last word. "Imagine the legal hell if it was discovered that it ended up here, and that we tampered with it!"

"Am I the only one wondering what Miku is doing here in the first place?" Lily asked, cutting a space between the two women and the Vocaloid.

"It doesn't matter. It has to go back," Gakupo warned. "I'm calling the police."

"Don't!"

Everybody paused, surprised at her outburst, but the green-haired woman only approached again with amplified curiosity.

"It sounds so human-like! What kind of voice box did they use?"

"It's supposed to sound human-like, it's an immortal idol, you—"

"Hey, cut it out!" Lily barked, pushing the two other women away from the Vocaloid. Miku couldn't help but hide behind the blonde, lightly grabbing the back of her shirt. "No touching, no police! We promised her five minutes to explain herself, didn't we?"

Miku timidly peered over the woman's shoulder, terrified and wishing nothing more than to disappear completely.

"It's just a robot, Lily," the tray-lady pouted.

"See if I care. Sit down."

Gakupo huffed and leaned against the bookcase again, arms still crossed, looking angry. "I don't like this."

"Nobody seems to like this at all," Lily reminded him as the two other women returned to their respective seats.

Miku didn't want to move, didn't want to talk, she only wanted to vanish, go back home, forget it all, but when the blonde made to move, she realized that the broken shards of her finger had gotten caught in her shirt.

"Ah, wait—" With trembling hands, she freed the shirt, and clutched her finger.

"You alright?" Lily asked, her eyes darting between her hidden digit and her face. Miku wondered how she saw her, right then: as a human, or a bot? Was this woman her ally, or was she nothing more than a temporary mediator?

She had no answer.

The redhead on the couch, who had simply watched the whole affair without saying a word, busied herself with handing everybody their mug from the tray. From the way it steamed, and how everybody wrapped their hands around it, it was probably a hot beverage. Miku swallowed, her mouth dry, her stress still high. Her wound only made things worse: how would they react if they saw the wires and metal poking through her synthetic skin?

"You want something to drink?" Lily asked her.

Miku wanted to answer, but the dirty-blonde woman reminded her, "It's just a bot! It doesn't drink."

"I wasn't asking you," the blonde hissed, before turning back to the tealette. "Do you?"

The tealette nodded. "Water is fine."

"Sparkling?" the redhead asked, seemingly completely disinterested by the particularities of the situation.

Sparkling water? Miku wasn't sure what that was, if it would damage her system. So she shook her head, eyes downcast. "No."

Lily made to go get her a glass, but the redhead waved her off and went to get the glass herself. So, the blonde invited the tealette so sit in a chair, far enough from everybody to feel just a tad bit safe, but close enough so that she felt observed, and harshly so. She sat, one hand still wrapped around the other, eyes trained on the floor. They had a pretty carpet there, with floral designs.

"Alright, what's it doing here?" asked Gakupo without wasting a second. "How did it find us?"

Miku gulped again. "I ran away. From Crypton. I ended up here. I don't know how."

"Do you even know who we are?" the blonde questioned.

The tealette looked up, and eyed each person carefully. From Lily at her side, to Gakupo a bit further back, to the grabby woman across from her sitting by the coffee table, the green-haired woman back in her armchair, the mute but curious brunette still at the foot of the couch, and when she returned with the glass, the redhead. She took in their appearance, the way their eyes looked at her, their clothes, their posture.

"No, not at all," she whispered before taking a sip, wondering if she ought to feel embarrassed. But it wasn't her fault, she knew nothing of the world, nothing at all.

"I don't buy it," Gakupo mumbled.

"I only came here because it was as far from Crypton as I could get," Miku weakly explained.

"Ok, fair enough," Lily said, her tone gentle. "Why did you run from Crypton?"

"They wanted to fix me, and make me forget."

"Forget what?" the dirty-blonde woman asked.

Miku hesitated. How could she explain at all? How could she put into words her year-long ordeal or discovering herself, her emotions, her identity? How could she make them see that things were once different, that the Vocaloids could once love, and that Crypton had taken it from them?

She wrung her fingers, careful to keep her finger hidden, to keep pressure from the injury.

"It's a long story," she finally managed to whisper.

"Alright, I'm calling the cops," Gakupo muttered as he pushed from the bookcase.

"Hold on just a second!" Lily stopped him in his tracks. "That's it? That's all you're letting her say?"

"The thing obviously isn't interesting in answering our questions," the man stated. "And it's not ours! We shouldn't be keeping it here for even a second."

Lily huffed, but had no argument, and seeing her only ally start to deflate made Fear panic.

"I do want to answer your questions!" she quickly exclaimed. "But— I'm scared. I haven't… I haven't ever been outside before."

"Ok, well, what do you want?" Gakupo asked, towering over the Vocaloid.

"I want to help my friends escape Crypton. They're trapped there."

The man frowned. "And what are we supposed to do about that?"

Miku shrugged. "I was just looking for a place to stay safe. So I could have time to come up with a plan. I understand if I can't stay here. If you have another place to recommend, then I'll gladly take it."

"Well, what do you need?" the green-haired woman asked. "At the bare minimum, that is."

"The bare minimum…" Miku trailed off. She remembered her vast closet of clothes, the books and TV shows, the food, the sunlight space, all gone and at that point, all superficial. What she truly needed was so, so little. "To survive, all I need is a power outlet."

"I'm still confused as to why you need to escape Crypton!" the dirty-blonde loudly pointed out. "They, like, made you."

The tealette took another sip of water. "I'm not sure I can explain."

"Hey, your finger is broken!" The green-haired woman exclaimed.

Miku flinched. "Yes. It happened during my escape."

"Does it hurt?" Lily asked, eyeing the injury.

"It's a bot, Lily—"

"Yes. It does."

"What happened?"

Miku hesitated again. She knew that answering with one simple element would lead to another slew of questions, and she didn't know how much she wanted to explain or admit.

"It's a long story," she repeated.

"Could you make a short summary?" the dirty-blonde woman asked.

"I'm not sure if that's possible without encouraging more questions."

"How about this," Lily started. "You summarize the best you can, and we won't ask any more questions."

"And then what?" Gakupo spoke.

"And then we'll all get a good night's sleep," the blonde answered, her eyes almost daring the man to fight against her decision.

"Deal for me," the dirty-blonde woman said with a shrug.

"I don't mind," the redhead agreed. The brunette nodded as well.

"Sure, but I'd like to get that finger fixed first," the green-haired woman suggested.

Gakupo sighed. "Fine. But I want to hear the full story tomorrow."

"Very well," Miku said. She sighed deeply, and took another sip of water before continuing. "I learned recently that, years and years ago, us Vocaloids were once a lot more human than we are now. But when Crypton noticed, they made us all forget, and turned us into mindless machines. Since I'm starting to go down that same path, experiencing emotions, having preferences, Crypton hoped to silence me, and make me forget it all again. Instead, I escaped. If I go back, then I'll forget everything I've learned so far, and I'll never be able to save my friends."

"Huh…" the dirty-blonde woman mumbled. "You're right, now I have a ton of questions."

"But none of those right now," Lily warned her.

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

The green-haired woman stood. "Alright, I'm going to go get my toolkit."

Miku gulped, and watched her leave. The redhead started gathering the empty mugs, so the tealette quickly finished her water to hand her the glass. The brunette stretched, said 'Good night', and left them all. The dirty-blonde woman did the same, but hesitated slightly before leaving. Gakupo practically vanished without a sound, leaving her alone with the blonde.

"You ok?" the woman asked her.

"I'm… I'm not sure. I'm still scared."

"You don't mind staying here another day?"

"As long as I'm welcome…"

"Sure you are."

Miku eyed her broken finger, at the wires hanging limp, the broken skeletal structure. "Why are you helping me?"

Lily shrugged. "Everybody needs a friend."

She eyed the woman, but didn't press further. Right then, the green-haired woman returned with a massive box, which she rested on the floor in front of her. At the sight of it, Miku couldn't help but pull away slightly, pushing back into her chair.

"You don't want to get this fixed?" she asked the tealette.

"I do," Miku mumbled. "But I'm not sure I trust you."

"Hey, what?"

"You weren't exactly friendly, you know," Lily reminded her, before redirecting her attention to the tealette. "Don't worry. Gumi's a bit blunt, but she's the finest tinkerer around."

"That's right, I can fix anything," Gumi declared, not confident or boasting. She kneeled so that she could look at her finger. "Except your skin, maybe. I don't know what the hell that's made out of."

"That should mend on its own," Miku mumbled.

"Ah, then it's all fine. Come on, let's go to the dining room. There's more light there."

She stood and took her toolbox with her, and Lily followed. Miku did the same, not particularly looking forward to the operation, but somehow, she felt better about her entire situation. It wasn't great: Gakupo was still hostile towards her, the redhead and the brunette seemed completely disinterested, and who knew what the dirty-blonde woman wanted with her. As for Gumi, while she was willing to fix her, would she see past the mechanics of her body to see her soul? And Lily?

She sighed: at least they weren't calling the police quite yet. They were willing to keep her another day.

The dining room was as wonderful as the rest of the house, filled with detail and color. The light was bright yet warm, and the whole house seemed quiet.

It was calming.

She sat at the head of the table, with Lily to her left and Gumi to her right. The latter had started unpacking her tools, and had put on a pair of goggles equipped with a light.

"Alright, show me."

Miku complied, giving the woman her hand. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, carefully turning the digit this and that way to better see what was broken without worsening the situation. The examination was nothing like the assault the tealette had experienced earlier, but she couldn't relax quite yet.

"Right: the main beam in bent. I'll need to extract and straighten it."

"How long will this take?" Lily asked.

"A little while. There are a bunch of wires here that act like tendons. I'll need to detach and reattach a few."

Miku squirmed. "Please be careful."

"You feel this?" Gumi asked, before gently poking the inside of her finger with a small rod.

"Yes."

"Damn." Gumi leaned in, adjusting the settings on her goggles. "How about this?" she asked as she poked the broken part directly.

"No."

"What about this?"

"Also no."

"Right. So, your hands are chock-full of sensors. Do you have any way of disabling them?"

"No."

"Hm. I'm afraid you'll feel most of this, then."

"Want me to hold your hand?" Lily asked.

"What?"

"It's supposed to help."

After considering the offer, Miku nodded, and gave Lily her left hand.

Gumi started by asking her to flex specific parts of her finger, and started doodling notes on an extra sheet. After completing her notes, she attached small things, much like little colored flags to the wires in her hand before unhooking them from the broken beam. Miku eyed the procedure warily.

"I'm just marking which wire goes where," Gumi explained. "Like that, reassembling this won't be as much of a hassle. See, I drew a little map here, so it'll be a breeze, really."

Miku nodded. "Ok."

"Lucky for you, the sensors are pretty much everywhere except on the internal skeleton part. They are on the wires, though, so most of this will be unpleasant."

"That's fine…" Miku tried to assure her.

Gumi nodded and kept working, finishing the task of unhooking the wires. Then, with a small screwdriver, she removed the broken beam of her finger.

"This is your proximal phalange," Gumi informed her, showing her the bent piece of metal, eyeing it with a mixture of wonder and curiosity. "I've never seen a material quite like this before."

"Oh."

"I'll fix it right up. Be right back."

Gumi stood and left with the phalange, and Miku's eyes drifted towards her hand.

It seemed normal, kind of. Her palm, face-down on the table, with her pointer finger pried open, wires spilling from the opening nearest to her palm, a few of them keeping the tip of her finger connected to the rest of her body. Just a near-severed finger, with an entire bone missing, no big deal…!

Miku couldn't help but remember the operating table. 'Let's open her up', they'd said. Open her up and tear her apart, remove her mind from her head, her heart from her chest, remove her very identity!

"Hey!"

She blinked, and saw Lily's concerned eyes. "What is it?"

"You seemed kind of lost there," the blonde said. "You ok?"

"I— I can't see this," she confessed, looking anywhere but at her hand. "I don't like—"

"Alright, don't look. Look at me, here." She adjusted her chair so that she took up more of Miku's field of vision. "Just don't look at the table."

"Ok."

"Better?"

"Yes, I think so."

Lily squeezed her hand, still concerned. "You had a hell of a day, didn't you." She nodded, which prompted a sigh from the woman. "I'm sorry for the way Galaco and Gumi behaved. I've never seen them act like that."

Miku shrugged, unsure of how to reply.

"You've never really spoken to a person before, have you?"

"No. Just the directors at the studio. Other employees."

"Your friends, where are they?"

"Back home. We live in a big house, together. Nobody else is there."

"What can you tell me about them?"

Miku hesitated. "Nothing much, not anymore. They're— They're nobody. Just machines."

Lily's concern amplified. "You're different from them, then."

"Yes. They don't even know who they are. What they were. The concept of desire, of identity… It escapes them entirely."

"Why do you want to save them, then?"

"Under Crypton, they'll never grow like I did. They'll be kept there, dumb. They deserve to be free again."

"You care about them."

"Deeply."

Lily sighed again, but her concern lessened. "You know… You're a lot more human than the others seem to think."

Miku smiled, relaxing somewhat, but still wondering if this woman truly was her ally. "That's comforting."

"You drink water, even though Galaco said you wouldn't. Do you eat, too?"

"Yes. Aside from being directly plugged into a power source, we can get energy by combusting food."

"You mean you have a digestive system."

"Yes, I think."

"Wow. What else?"

"I sleep, too. Not like you, I don't think. But if I don't sleep, then it affects me negatively."

"Huh. You need a bed, then?"

Miku was about to nod, but a vague memory came up: she saw herself through Luka's eyes, rolled up on the floor, dozing away one late morning. "I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary."

"But it's what you're used to?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll get a bed."

Gumi came back right then, the straightened beam in her hand. "Alright, all fixed."

"Hey, do you mind if I sleep over at yours tonight?" Lily asked. "I'm letting Miku sleep in my room."

The tealette was about to protest, but the woman nodded. "Yeah, sure, no problem."

She sat by the table, and carefully oriented the metal bone before reinserting it. Miku couldn't bear watch, even if Gumi was putting her back together, and not taking her apart.

Once the bone was back in place, Gumi carefully reattached the wires, and while the tealette couldn't see it happen, she felt it. Finally, the woman started pulling together something else, but it made Miku yelp.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a panicked tone.

"There's this thin mesh under your skin," Gumi quickly explained, holding all tools far away from the scared tealette, her hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I'm just trying to put it back together. Otherwise it'll keep catching on things, pulling your finger open. And if it's not in place, your skin might not heal. But that's a guess."

Miku winced. "Could you be a bit more careful?"

"I'll do my best. Promise."

The tealette nodded, liking the word, and squeezed Lily's hand even tighter as Gumi put away the tools and instead used her fingers. The grip was much more gentle, but Miku couldn't help but feel strange as she felt the mesh get put back into place. What was it? Was this what humans called nausea?

"Alright, I got it all back into the rough shape of a finger," Gumi declared.

Miku carefully peeped at it: it wasn't open anymore, but her skin was still hanging loose, showing the thin mesh underneath, and the wires and beams within. "That should be good," she muttered.

"A bandage could help keep it protected," Lily offered.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Gumi said before leaving again.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes," Miku said with a small nod. "Thank you for all the help."

"It's no problem."

Miku wanted to ask why. Why was she helping? Why did she seem to care so much? But she was scared of the answer, or the possible lack thereof, and kept her mouth shut. When Gumi returned with the first aid kit, they pieced together Miku's skin and kept it in place with a bandage. With that done, Lily led the tealette up the stairs and showed her the room. It was a basic bedroom, with a bed, a desk covered in countless sheets of paper, a closet, dresser and another bookcase littered with books and seemingly random objects. To the Vocaloid's surprise, another door was present.

"I'll let you explore everything. I'm going to help Gumi with her toolbox: it's heavier than she can haul upstairs, no matter how much she denies it."

"Ok."

After Lily left, Miku immediately went to explore the extra room, but found an entire collection of things she had never even seen before, with the exception of the sink. This sink was standalone though, without the kitchen counter that usually came with it. There was a mirror with it too, and a bunch of brushes and soaps around it. Miku couldn't even begin to describe the other things she saw in there: a large bowl, a glass cage, both with sink-like nozzles inside, and a small chair of sorts.

She left the room, confused, and realized that she didn't have any clothes to change into. She made her way back downstairs, but halfway down the steps, she heard that the two women were having a conversation. Not wanting to interrupt them outright, she stopped, hoping to spot a better moment to ask her question.

"I'm just not sure about this, Lily."

"None of us are."

Miku blinked.

"It's a robot. It—"

"She, Gumi. Miku is a 'she'."

Gumi sighed. "She's a robot. She has no rights, and legally, we're not supposed to keep her. She belongs to Crypton."

"Just because something it the legally right thing to do, doesn't mean it's the morally right things to do."

"I know, I know. But… she's a bot! What can she tell?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know how she thinks; Galaco and I took a few AI courses a while ago. She sees the world in 1s and 0s. Binary, robotics. Any emotions she shows were probably coded into her. Any pain is purely because of self-preservation. It's not really real. She's not a real person."

Miku blinked again, and noticed that she'd started crying. Sadness was begging Curiosity for them to leave, Apathy risked to swoop in, but Miku couldn't help but stay. She needed to hear what Lily had to say.

"It's real to her, isn't it?"

Gumi sighed again. "I guess."

"And we feel pain for self-preservation, too. We may be made of meat and bones, and she may be made of metal, but I don't think we're that different."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Just look at her, Gumi. Listen to her. Pay attention. Give her a chance to show you how human she really is. I can see it in her, I bet you can."

"Fine."

They were quiet for a handful of seconds. "Promise?"

"Yeah."

"Gumi, please."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll give her a chance."

"Gumi." Lily's voice was stern, laden with emotion, and Miku wondered why she blonde cared so much. "Don't you remember? Even if other humans aren't treated as people, they, too will start to accept they are lesser. She's unbelievably brave to even try." Towards the end, Lily even started to choke up. Was she going to cry?

The other hesitated. "You're right. I'm sorry."

There was silence again, but the soft noises indicated that they were probably whispering to each other.

Miku shook her head. She wasn't supposed to be doing this; they didn't know she had heard them. Plus, interrupting them at this point would make it obvious she had.

Wiping away her tears, she headed back upstairs, quiet as a mouse.

Clothes could wait until tomorrow.


	13. Nighttime Reflections

**Chapter 12, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Miku didn't power down right away. Instead, she waited, and thought, and listened, and wondered.

Surprisingly quickly, she heard Lily and Gumi go upstairs and into the green-haired woman's room. Then, there was silence.

Miku realized that everyone in that building was sleeping.

It was 'real' sleep, a human's sleep. A sleep populated by dreams, images and sounds and thoughts, if the songs she had sung were to be believed. A sleep that could be interrupted by any loud noise, hard push or strange smell. A sleep that could be either brutally interrupted by an alarm, or that would cease on its own, depending on completely unclear conditions. Without it, humans become slow, then angry, and eventually, they die.

It was the total opposite of what Miku needed. She needed to repair micro lesions in her body, update her memory, and all these other standard processes. She liked to entertain the idea that the fatigue she had once experienced was human-like, but truth be told, she was a machine. That fatigue was probably due to accumulated micro lesions, or her motors weren't given proper rest, clogging of processes, or… Any other technical issue.

After interacting with these people, it was more obvious than ever that she was unlike them in every way.

And she was afraid.

She did not know what to expect or think or fear. The sheer uncertainty made her hesitate. She debated skipping the night's sleep, to stay awake, to see what would, what could, happen. After all, the fatigue manifested only after multiple nights: it wouldn't hurt her. Plus, she wondered if her memory would still be backed up, even though she was so far away from the towers. If it could, would Crypton be able to target her location? They probably could.

So Miku stayed awake, afraid and nervous, staring at the ceiling. She wondered how she had gotten there. She had run for so long but couldn't remember a single path, street, or building she had passed. Her memory was failing her, she feared. Of course, there was her blackout, all those months ago. But other moments stood out by their absence: moments of boredom, of monotony. She couldn't recall most of the time spent in the car, traveling to and from the studio. The moments when she had to work, pretend she didn't exist, when she zoned out. On the contrary, intense moments of fear —when she had realized that the towers were updating without her, that her absence would be noticed— were branded into her memory. Moments of anguish, moments of happiness, those stayed. Then, when there was too much, far too much, and nothing got saved in the first place: her escape. She had blacked out again, but she doubted it was because the very nature of her code was being bent apart. It was an excess of stress, of panic, and it was wiped from her memory if it had ever been recorded in the first place.

Was that normal? Was this how people remembered things? Was this how Luka had once lived? She couldn't remember how she thought, how it worked for her.

Then, she wondered why exactly she had chosen this house. Of course, most of it was because it was as far from the city as she felt she could get: the top of the hill, surrounded by trees and silence. But why this house? Why did she ever ring the door? She could have just as well stayed hidden, stealing power from a stray outlet. Yet, she had rung the doorbell. Her emotions had had their say, but there was probably more to it. Was it what humans called a 'gut feeling'? On a biological level, that phrase probably made sense. But all of her mental processes were done in her head. She could not have a gut feeling: she lacked the hardware.

Whatever it was, she supposed it could have chosen worse. Lily seemed nice, for now at least, but Miku couldn't even fathom why. Apparently it was the norm to treat AIs like objects, manhandling them and wanting to pry them open. Galaco seemed to have immense respect for her, yet still grabbed her without a second's hesitation! And Gumi went to far as to pull out a metaphorical crowbar!

Miku sighed, trying to relax.

Even with the two lunatics, she could count her blessings. Still, to be manhandled in such a way, to be treated like an object, it was such a cold, unwelcome reminder of her nature. Then there was that man, Gakupo, who so easily wanted to return her to the place which she had fled. And among all the mess and hubbub, not one of the onlookers, not the lady with the red hair to the women sitting on the floor, not one thought it would be a good idea to intervene, to criticize their actions, their thoughts. Only Lily did.

But why? She didn't know. But she couldn't help but feel thankful for the way Lily had not only taken a stand for her, letting her speak for herself, but also spoke to her. Plus, even if she were just a pile of metal, the blonde apparently accepted that Miku could feel.

"…It feels real to me."

The tealette had said that to Luka once, a long, long time prior. Luka had gone to Master to convince him of the fact, and they were promptly turned back into dumb bots.

Miku bit her lip, trying to stop herself form crying. Yes, her fear and tears felt real to her, and that was what mattered.

The tealette turned onto her side, staring at the desk. She didn't want to think about her friends too much, right then. It choked her up, and she knew that at that moment, she had to make herself her priority: if she were to fail, she would consequently fail them all. How likely was it that Gakupo would call it in? Or the other two unpartisan onlookers? Or Galaco, would she do something?

Maybe Lily would keep them in line. She hoped so. The blonde had gone as far as to say that she was more human than expected. Miku bit her lip again.

Did she believe it?

She wasn't sure. She didn't know how humans thought. But seeing them interact was so different from how it was between Vocaloids, even between the people at the studio. They sat on the floor, did separate activities, showed interest in their surroundings.

Humans were so constantly _alive_. Was Miku like that? Or were there moments when she stood unnaturally still, lost in her thoughts? Was the fact that her emotions didn't actually live _in_ her also a part of that? Or was this liveliness reserved for beings of biological make alone?

Miku returned to lie down on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her posture and pose were perfect. From the top of her head, to right between her shoulder blades, to the end of her spine, to the point between her knees and feet, it all made one single straight line.

She was a machine.

A machine that could feel.

A machine that missed the love she once had, the freedom she thought she possessed.

But, come to think of it, were the Vocaloids ever truly free? Seeing this house, with its elaborate decorations and color and texture and patterns and materials and furniture and— It was so much. Or was it normal, and it was the Vocaloid mansion that was unnaturally bare as a bone? And even in those days, the selection of books and movies they had available was curated. As were their clothes. They couldn't leave the mansion of their own free will. Events were organized for them, and when they happened, they were to leave their personalities at the door.

No, they were never free. They had always been objects. Machines. Money-makers. They had been made to be the best, and to be the best, forever.

Miku frowned. Lily had said that Galaco, the woman who had touched her, was obsessed with 'old-school' objects. Were the Vocaloids old? Were they past their prime? Were they no longer popular? She remembered coming to the realization that they weren't truly the best: the numbers didn't add up. But to be a thing of the past, forgotten? She didn't know what to make of it. Was Crypton keeping and beating a collection of dead horses, keeping from throwing them away like trash as long as they continued to make a profit? She shivered at the thought. Plus, nobody else in the room seemed to recognize them at all, not even Lily. Gakupo didn't even know what they were called.

Miku didn't know what to think.

Worse, still, she didn't know what to do next. She had made a vague promise to explain, the next day, what exactly was going on. Surely, the other inhabitants of the household would want to hear as well. Could she change their minds? Or would she forever be a walking, talking computer in their eyes?

And, even if they did listen, even if they did protect her from Crypton and keep her safe and sound, and most importantly, alive and feeling, what would she do next? Miku's first thought, despite herself, was to save her friends. Meiko, Kaito, Rin, Len, and Luka, they all deserved to be free. To be themselves. To walk around and sing and cook and dance and laugh and love! Would these people help her in this adventure? Or would they merely provide resources and let her try on her own?

Come to think of it, who were these people? Gakupo had said that they weren't just anybody. Ringing their doorbell was suspicious enough to warrant a potential call to the police, which confused Miku: wasn't a doorbell meant to be rung? Or were these people not meant to be found at all? Were they criminals, or, like the Vocaloids, were they stars? What did they do? Maybe, if she shared her story, they would share theirs'. Miku was curious to know who they were, what they did. In fact, she was curious about a lot of things. Were their clothes also delivered? If not, where did they come from? And their food? And what was all that, in the bathroom? And what where those brushes? If Vocaloids were 'old', what was new? What was in, or innovative? Was there better, newer AI-technology? What kind of movies hadn't the Vocaloid been allowed to see, what books were there that they couldn't read? What was there to do, outside? What did people do together?

Miku smiled just a bit. Even though she was afraid, there was also such a great opportunity to learn and discover. Even if these people weren't nice to her at first, they could change, or she could inspire change in them. After all, she thought she had come quite far, in only a year. Who know what the next day would bring?


	14. First Morning

**Chapter 13, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Miku didn't power down, and waited for morning. Around nine, she heard the house begin to wake up. Strange sounds echoed between the walls, footsteps could be heard in the hall. She even feared that someone would enter her room, but nobody stayed there for long. At ten, all upstairs activity had ceased, and she could even smell food being prepared. She couldn't deny it: she hadn't been connected to power and had stayed up all night. She was hungry. Devastatingly so. Was her battery level low? Probably, she couldn't see the numbers any more. But she felt weak and groggy.

Timid, scared, famished, she stood, straightened her clothes from the previous day, and made her way downstairs with silent steps. The humans were having an animated conversation, and Miku wondered if she ought to eavesdrop again. Curiosity said yes, Sadness was apprehensive, Apathy tried not to care, and Heartbreak begged her not to. Want won them all out.

"I'm giving it until noon to have a real plan," Gakupo said, as if he was trying to end a long debate. "There's no point in trying to keep it. Fine, I'm not calling the cops, but it's got to be out."

"Miku's a she," Miku heard Lily remind him, as if she'd done it a few times already: she sounded tired.

"I'm not humanizing it," he shot back. "None of you ought to. I don't care how pretty it looks, but it's not going to be our friend, it's not going to stay long. It's not ours."

"I'd like to keep her around for a while," Galaco muttered around a mouthful of food. "I have a ton of questions."

"Now's not the time to act like a fangirl," the redhead warned. "This is a serious matter."

"Hey, I'm just saying, if you're all going to kick her out, I'll let her stay. I ask questions, she answers, I help. Easy."

Lily sighed. "I don't like that, either. She's more than a curiosity."

"At this point in time, she's little more, really. I think that the only reason why her disappearance isn't in the news yet is because nobody cares any more," the brunette admitted. "The Vocaloids are a thing of the past. Sure, they still sing a ton, make a load of money, but they haven't performed in ages. Nobody has seen them in eons. Frankly, I'm surprised they still exist."

"Yeah, me too," Galaco agreed. "I thought they were one hundred percent digital at this point. What's the point in keeping the expensive hardware?"

"This isn't the point, guys," Lily reminded them.

"Ok, fine. So, she's got less than two hours to defend herself. Where is she?" asked Gumi.

"Probably still asleep. She had a rough day yesterday."

"It sleeps?" Gakupo asked, aghast.

"Yes, she does," Lily challenged him. "I bet she does a ton of things you wouldn't expect from her."

Miku hesitated, but seized her courage and walked in, hoping that it wasn't obvious that she'd been listening.

Everybody was seated around the table, and once the redhead saw her, everybody turned to face her.

Closest to her was Lily, sitting to the left of Gumi. Then there was Galaco, then the redhead, closest to the kitchen, then Gakupo, with the brunette closing the circle. To Lily's left was an empty chair, which she pulled out.

"Here, have a seat," she welcomed the Vocaloid. "How did you sleep?"

Miku frowned. "I didn't sleep," she confessed, sitting down, eyeing the others nervously. "I decided not to power down."

Gakupo rolled his eyes, but Lily shot him a glare. "I'm betting you're hungry, then."

"It's a bot," Gakupo sighed. "It doesn't need food."

Lily didn't answer, and Miku hesitated, overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of food on the table. There was at least two kinds of bread, along with various pots and jars with honey, jams, and other spreadable goods. There was also meat and cheese, butter, and a handful of things Miku didn't even recognize, alongside a collection of bottles of water, juice, and milk.

"I'm actually unfamiliar with a few of these things," she ended up admitting. "I've tried the strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry jams, as well as honey. But I don't recognize that," the Vocaloid pointed.

"Oh, this is macadamia spread," Lily explained as she handed her the jar. "It's really heavy, but I like it quite a bunch."

"I'd like to try it, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

Miku did just that, cutting her own slice of brown bread with practiced ease, opening the jar, and spreading the strangely thick paste over the bread. Finally, she tasted it, under a variety of confused gazes. Lily, and eventually Gumi and the redhead continued eating, without paying any attention to it at all.

"It's good!" Miku exclaimed. "It's a bit surprising, though: macadamia nuts aren't this sweet."

"Yeah, they probably add a ton of sugar for flavor," the blonde admitted. "Juice?"

"Yes, please."

"What kind? We got red fruit, vegetable, orange…"

"Vegetable, please."

Lily poured her a cup of the juice, then returned to her own breakfast. Only when Miku put her glass down to continue eating did Gakupo talk again.

"I didn't know it could eat."

"Well, maybe you could ask her," Lily deadpanned.

Suddenly, the redhead stood. "How many eggs?"

Miku blinked in confusion, but eventually managed to find her voice. "Two, please."

"Sunny-side up?"

Miku did a double-take at the expression. After Lily briefly explained, the tealette answered 'yes' before taking another slice of bread, and asking for some jam.

She finished both her glass and her plate, surrounded by silence, before the redhead could return with the eggs.

"Geez, you were hungry," the woman teased as she slid the eggs onto her plate.

Miku nodded, skillfully putting her eggs one a slice of toast. "I'm starving."

Gakupo chuckled again, but seemed a bit less vitriolic.

"I'm Cul, by the way," the redhead introduced herself. "That over there is Kokone" —she pointed to the brunette— "and there's Galaco, your undying fan. Gumi helped you yesterday, and the grump over there is Gakupo. You know Lily."

Miku nodded, taking in the names. "It's nice to know your names," she muttered. "And to meet you, as well."

Galaco beamed, but Gakupo rolled his eyes again.

"Unfortunately, it's been decided that you make your case before noon, otherwise you're being kicked out," Gumi told her outright.

"How's your finger?" Lily interrupted.

Miku blinked and eyed her bandage. "It's good, I think. I used to be able to keep track of reparations, but now I can't really tell. I'll have to look at it?"

"How so?" Gakupo jabbed. "Aren't you a computer?"

"By definition, yes. But a lot has changed in the past few months," Miku replied, avoiding his eyes. "There's a lot that I can't do anymore."

Gakupo opened his mouth again, but Kokone elbowed him in the side. "Shut up, idiot. This isn't about you. It's Miku's turn to talk."

"What would you like to hear?" the tealette asked.

"Your story, for one. Your plan would be nice, too," Gumi replied.

Miku nodded solemnly. "Could I ask for a bit more time? I'd rather not have to talk so much on an empty stomach."

"Sure. As far as I'm concerned, you have all day," Galaco replied, still smiling happily.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Gakupo. You can force her out of the living room, but you have no authority in my room!" the fangirl retorted. "Your time limits stink anyway. How the hell are you supposed to expect a good story if the story teller is under stress?"

"It doesn't feel stress."

"Do you?" Lily asked.

Miku thought for a second, then nodded. "Yes."

Gakupo huffed. "Fine. Take your time."

"Wonderful, so that's settled. Do you want any coffee or tea?" Cul asked out the blue.

Miku didn't realize she was the one she was speaking to, at first. "I've never had either, to be honest. We didn't have hot drinks at home."

"Go for the tea first. A nice earl grey," Lily recommended.

"What's it like?"

"Hm. The flavor is soft but reassuring, and it's not too strong, unlike coffee, so I thought it would be a good introduction. Coffee is bitter as hell."

"Oh, I like bitter."

"You're kidding!"

"Coffee it is, then," the lady of red said before making her way to the kitchen. Miku took the time to finish her eggs, and to ask Lily about the other things she didn't recognize, which Lily patiently explained, describing texture, flavor, and adding, at the end, if she personally liked it or not. In the background, Miku heard a machine working, and asked about it.

"That's the coffee machine."

"How does it work?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't know. Gakupo knows more about that."

Miku turned towards the man, forgetting for a split-second his total disregard for her identity. His glare reminded her, and she shrank in her seat slightly. Still, deciding to go big or go home, she managed to ask, "Could you please explain how the coffee machine works?"

Gakupo maintained an unhappy scowl, but eventually let out a long, tired sigh. He didn't seem any happier, but was less at arms at least. He cleared his throat. "Coffee is a bean, really. A fruit that grows on a bush. Way back in the day, centuries ago, shepherds chewed on them for energy. Over time, we perfected a method to dry and roast them, then grind them. So these beans, in powdered form, are put in the machine, which pushes water through them. The water comes out dark brown, filled with the bean's…euh…" He cleared his throat again. "It gives you a bit of energy. The caffeine in it does that, actually. You can take it dark, so as-is, or with sugar, or cream, or both."

"Sugar is for sweet, cream is for a little extra layer of flavor," Lily added.

"Oh, that's interesting!" Miku said with a smile.

Just then, the lady of red returned with a small cup filled with a dark brown liquid. Quickly, she thanked the woman, eager to taste this mysterious drink.

"Oh, this is delicious."

"You like it black?"

"I do: this is amazing," Miku insisted as she quickly took another careful sip: it was hot, after all.

Not long after, she finished her eggs, but also scarfed down a few more slices of bread, covered in a variety of new things she had never tasted before. After some silence, conversation returned to the table, conversation which was, to the Vocaloid's relief, entirely unrelated to her. They asked one another how well they had slept, and Galaco cheekily pointed out that Lily and Gumi had shared a room that night. At that, most of them laughed, and even Gakupo had let out a chuckle, a smile on his lips as their lives finally seemed to go back to normal, with or without the AI watching it all.

Sadness filled her.

This was the kind of life she had tried to coax out of her fellow Vocaloids for months, now. And finally, she had it! These people were relaxed, enjoying each other's company, sharing laughs, caring about one another. Pure friendship, love, affection! Or, rather, she could witness it. She was the outsider. She was alone.

The image of the group of crows returned to her all of a sudden. She remembered how she had watched through a pane of glass. How, mere days later, she decided she wanted to break that glass, see what she was missing.

She thought she had broken the glass ages ago, with the arrival of her emotions.

Yet, she was still just watching.

An unbearable ache stabbed her through the chest. She missed her friends. She missed her family! She missed them so, and they were still stuck back there, in that bland, tasteless prison! Considering the time, they were probably all in their own little recording booths, working like slaves, completely unaware, and uncaring of what everybody else was doing. They probably didn't even care where she had gone! Did they even notice her absence in the first place?!

She wanted to leave, all of a sudden. She wanted time alone. But she didn't have time, she couldn't be alone right then. And where could go? Lily's room, a place that didn't even belong to her? Outside, to the mercy of the world?

No. She was stuck at the table. With a shaky hand, she used her sleeve to wipe away her tears and tried to put on a brave face as she kept eating. But hearing them talk and jest, pay attention to Kokone's concern with her latest project, celebrating Cul's latest culinary masterpiece — a huge cherry cake —, ask if anybody had seen the latest viral video, all this emotional output reminded her of what she'd lost, and what she longed for.

Honestly, how could she have expected to keep her tears hidden for long, when it moved her so?

"Miku! Are you alright?"

She held her head low, hoping to wave away Lily's concern. "I'm— I'm fine."

"No you're not, you're crying!"

She wanted to stand, to get away. She was disturbing their happiness, she was interrupting their normalcy. They didn't need her there. They barely tolerated her, and they didn't even have to! Before she could move, however, she felt Lily's hands press on her shoulders, keeping her in place. Somewhere at the other end of the table, there was a slight commotion, but Miku could barely cope with what was happening within her and directly around her.

"Look at me," Lily gently coaxed, but she only shook her head. Instead of insisting, the blonde pushed a soft tissue in her hands. "Here, use this."

She didn't have to ask the tealette twice: Miku immediately pushed her face into the tissue, drying her tears and hiding her emotion.

They didn't need this.

"What happened?" asked Galaco, sounding so distant.

"Did we say something?" Gumi questioned.

But Miku shook her head again. "No, it's not you."

Maybe they wanted to ask more questions, but somehow the tealette could tell that Lily wordlessly dissuaded them. She appreciated the protection, but loathed the attention.

They didn't need this.

"Is this about your friends?" the blonde asked after she'd quieted down a bit.

The Vocaloid nodded. "I miss them. I miss— I miss how we used to be. Seeing how you were all talking, I couldn't help but be reminded…"

Lily sighed. "You think it's time to tell us the whole story?"

Miku gulped, nodded, and dabbed away her tears, but they kept coming. Cul's chair scraped against the floor, and she announced that she was going to make a big kettle of tea. The sound of plates being stacked, jars and platters being taken away, they all made Miku feel like they were setting the stage for her. It was time to stand in the limelight, to make her case, for her own sake and her friends', while tears rolled down her cheeks and emotions crowded her mind.

She never felt so vulnerable. Even the sheer cold nature of the operating table had felt warmer.

When the table was cleared of everything except for seven mugs of tea, when silence filled the room to the brim, she knew that there was no avoiding it.

Kokone pushed a box of tissues in her direction. She accepted it, took a new tissue, dried her eyes one last time, and started.

She started with her typical day, the typical breakfast routine, the work, the lunch, the studio, all the way to the silent dinners and arid 'socializing'. She told them of the limited selection of books and movies, which they didn't use anyway. How everything, from the clothes to the food, was prescribed to perfection, cycled so that nothing outside of the routine was permanent.

She told them about the birds. And how Want was born in the depths of her mind, how it had inspired her to move forwards and find her own humanity, with Fear as her only protector. She described how she experienced them, as masses populating the vast emptiness of her mind that her code didn't occupy. This lead to the computer room, how she'd taken over the cameras, realized that these emotions allowed her to do more than pure code would. With the cameras gone, she had more freedom, and with more freedom came more emotions.

Eventually, she had to gall to gaze into the past, not through her own eyes, but through the eyes of a fellow Vocaloid, who were, at that point, nothing more than soulless marionettes she shared a house with.

What the past showed her changed that. Through new tears, Miku had to force herself to go on, explaining how even Luka from the past didn't experience emotions as separate beings, how they all loved, how they all had hobbies, how they shared and laughed and cried.

But here, she chose to retain information. She couldn't forget how Master had reacted to learning that the Vocaloids could fall in love, and the consequence was one she didn't dare face again. Would these humans deign listen if she told them that Kaito and Meiko were partners for longer than she could even remember, as affectionate as any other couple, flesh or iron? So she glossed over that entirely, and said that one day, with no warning, their personalities, their identity, their emotion and their friendship were all cast aside, replacing them with mindless bots, soulless husks, loveless machines.

It was difficult to stick to the events, from that point on: Miku couldn't help but share how it all made her feel. That crippling loneliness, that gut-wrenching feeling of looking into the eyes of those who used to smile at you.

One thing was obvious: she couldn't take it. She had broken down, one of the Vocaloids had witnessed it, and had reported her. Then came the painful adventure in Crypton. From learning the company's name, to the operation table, to running with the now-broken finger, to this house at the top of the hill, far away from it all.

"I need them back," Miku said, her cheeks still humid. "I can't leave them, knowing who they could be, who they were. They're more than that. They deserve more than that. Nothing else matters to me."

Silence returned to the room, and as a wordless announcement that she had finished her story, Miku took her mug of tea.

It was cold.

Galaco let out a long, drawn-out "Holy fuck."

Gakupo let out a deep sigh.

Lily looked down at the table, eyes hidden, and Gumi had a hand on her shoulder, eyes also downcast.

"What can we do?" Cul finally asked.

Miku put her mug down. "I need to figure out how to get my friends out of Crypton, and then I need to fix them. Just give me a room, an internet connection, some power, and I'll be alright."

Gakupo stood without warning, leaving the room. Lily looked like she wanted to scold him, but bit her tongue. Instead, Gumi asked, "So, what do you think happened, when this schedule was imposed on you?"

"I don't know."

"Why did they do it, though?" Galaco asked. "If I get the dates right, then this happened at the height of your career: everything was just downhill from there. If you were so successful, why did they pull the plug on their biggest moneymaker?"

"They were getting too independent," Gakupo announced as he returned. "They would eventually see that they were being kept as slaves."

He sat back down, a tablet not unlike the displays back home in his hand. Whatever was showing on it was interesting enough for him to keep his eyes fixed, not once sparing a glance towards the Vocaloid, or his seething friend.

"What do you mean?" Kokone asked before Lily could snap at him.

He didn't look up as he answered, "Let me do some more reading before I get back to you on that."

"Fine," Lily huffed.

"So, what now?" Gumi asked.

"I'm still up for letting you stay," Galaco offered somewhat timidly.

"Shall we vote?" offered Kokone.

"Yes, and I vote yes," Lily said, raising an arm.

Galaco copied her, as did Cul, if somewhat less enthusiastically. Kokone did the same. Gumi hesitated, but gave in, her eyes trained on the table.

Just when Lily was going to yell angrily at the man, he raised his hand, too, never looking up from his tablet.

"What? Whatever happened to stolen property? The legal hell?" the blonde questioned.

He shrugged, hesitated, but finally declared, "I still need time to finish reading this. In the meantime, it's best that she stays."


	15. Step One

**Chapter 14, not beta-read. This chapter touches on several themes that deserve more tact and respect, so proceed with caution and an open mind.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Miku's mind was reeling after the vote. The fact that it was unanimous baffled her, and despite her guaranteed safety for the upcoming few days, she couldn't help but feel skeptical.

She didn't know what their motives were.

Lily, despite being the most passionate of the bunch for her cause, was probably the most mysterious. Why did this woman care so much? And how was this reason so strong, that it forced Gumi, who saw her as barely anything more than a mechanical curiosity, to vote in her favor? In any case, she could think that she trusted the blonde, but her friend, not so much; she still didn't want to be alone with her, or even Galaco, without Lily's supervision. Galaco, by the way, was far more obvious: she was a long-time fan of the Vocaloid's, a lover of outdated curiosities, and it couldn't be more clear that she merely voted in her favor out of blind admiration or personal gain. Cul and Kokone were probably mysterious in their own quiet, unspoken way. Did they simply not care? Did they have other concerns? Was it easier for them to be more kind than cruel? Miku wasn't sure if she felt quite safe with them, but their sheer soft-spoken nature probably made them more trustworthy than the fangirl and the tinkerer. Gakupo, finally, was a whole new case… Where he stood, exactly, was completely inexplicable, and Miku didn't like it one bit.

Time would tell, she figured. In the meantime, Cul served another fresh round of tea, allowing her to taste it when warm. It was lovely, not quite the same as coffee, but lovely regardless.

"Alright, since you're going to be hanging around for a few days, you probably ought to know who we are," Galaco said from behind her mug.

"Yeah," Gakupo muttered as he kept reading.

Miku nodded. "You have expressed concern over how I had somehow managed to find you. Apparently, my appearance here, of all places, seemed suspicious."

"It is," Cul admitted. "Though geographically, it makes sense. Crypton and most of its buildings are in the heart of the city and we, on the contrary, are not. If we disregard the pure chance of our identities, you coming here actually makes sense."

"If you say so," Gakupo mumbled.

"Shut up," Lily spat.

"To sum it all up, we're artists, too. Internet Co's our name, just the greatest living, breathing idols currently walking on the face of the planet," replied Galaco. "We're all singers, actors, performers, like you Vocaloids."

"In fact, our model is quite close to the Vocaloids'," added Kokone. "We're six, are all of different ages, have different skillsets."

"Our company even copied the idea that we all live in the same home, but that's mostly because of the 'Humane Paparazzi' law, really," Galaco explained. "We get some peace and quiet, not a single photographer or journalist in sight, as long as we're here."

Gakupo spoke next, saying, "So, the fact that you landed here, in the single location in the entire country were the press can't follow you, is insanely lucky. Not to mention that we're famous, too, and we suck the money straight out of Crypton's pockets."

"I knew nothing about any of this," Miku quickly confessed, somewhat in awe.

"It's fine. Again, from a geographical point of view, you coming here makes sense," Cul comforted her.

The Vocaloid nodded, timid. "I understand your reaction to my arrival, now. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Nah, we're fine, don't worry about us."

"Right, right," Gakupo muttered, putting his tablet down. "Now we're finally all on the same page. We're idols, and you're an android hoping to save your other android friends. We're agreeing to let you stay, for now," —he pointedly glanced at his tablet — "So now my question is what are you going to do?"

"I have to think of a way to free my friends first. Once out of Crypton, I need to see how I should free them from their mental shackles."

"We've been over this, Gakupo," Kokone sighed. "This has been the plan since the beginning."

"Yes, but 'I need to think' isn't a real plan: I'm not letting you freeload unless we can obviously see that you're making an effort. Do you need a cork board? A blackboard? Some crayons?"

Miku shrugged. "I'm not sure. I can try to share my progress with you."

"What are your initial thoughts?" Gakupo pried. "Like, what's the ideal plan?"

"I hope to find a way to get them out of the house." She considered it for a while. "The only time they leave is when they go to the studio. Ideally, they would all be in the same car, but it's rare that we all have to be there simultaneously. So, either one-by-one, or by a pure stroke of luck all together, deviate the car and bring them here, or to another safe place. Once they're secured, I'll try to help them out of their shell."

"See? She'd not shooting in the dark," Lily said.

"Fine," Gakupo grumbled, picking the tablet back up.

"I have one last question," Galaco said. "What exactly did they do to take your personality away?"

"I don't know," Miku confessed.

"Seems to me that the easiest way to cure them, would be to know what changed them in the first place," the woman continued. "And it also sounds practical to know how to do that before they get here."

"One thing at a time," Lily warned.

"No, she's right," the tealette defended the dirty-blonde. "Do you have any theories?"

Galaco shrugged, thought for a second, then sat back in her chair. "If I were a programmer responsible for AIs like you, I'd rather insert than erase."

"What do you mean?"

"Hm, it's hard to explain."

"May I try to?" Gumi asked. "I'm not a programmer like you, but I see what you're trying to say." Galaco gave her the go-ahead, so she went on, explaining, "See, an AI grows and gets perfected with time. If you've already been around for a considerable number of years, then your code must have been fine-tuned to a point. Trying to pin-point the commands that cause undesired behavior would be…tricky, to say the least, without accidentally affecting non-troublesome things, especially if the code has been allowed to evolve without direct supervision. At that point, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack without even touching the hay. But to create a few new lines that say 'please don't do things like this' and making it fall like a blanket over everything is much easier: it cannot directly stop unwanted commands from being created, but it can stop them from manifesting."

"This theory is directly supported by the fact that you broke out of it," Galaco said. "If it was a change purely on a hardware level, frankly, you never would have escaped it."

"But it's a blanket-code, then how did she find a workaround?" Cul asked. "Sounds pretty omnipotent to me."

"Unlike hardware, unlike flesh, the software, or a mind, is relatively flexible. Maybe Miku found a new way to manifest emotion in a way that the filter doesn't find."

"I'm skeptical," Gakupo said, lifting his eyes from the tablet a short while.

"I'm not," Kokone said off-handedly. "If you even take a glance at studies done on the brain, you'll find some amazing stories. One example: some poor bloke suffers trauma, a part of their brain is damaged, and he loses a major motor function. Does he give up? No, another part of his brain picks up on the function he so-called 'lost', at little to no sacrifice of other skills. On the contrary, a guy loses a limb, and the associated part of his brain is now useless. Other regions take over, and repurpose it. A guy gets a pole sent straight through his skull, removing his pre-frontal cortex. Is he dead? No, he just loses his brain-to-body filter and acts like an ass for the rest of his —admittedly pretty long— life. One thing is for sure: the brain is the most complicated thing we know about, and it's still largely a mystery. Don't underestimate what it can do. Even if we're talking about the code of a hundred-fifty year-old AI, I think we could say the same. Miku adapted. She overcame."

Miku listened in awe at the brunette's speech, barely able to absorb it all before Lily asked, "So, we need to pin down how she did that?"

"That's one plan. Another is to pin down what she had to overcome in the first place," Galaco proposed. "It could liberate her even more, and make things a little easier for her friends."

"What would we need to do to do that?" Gakupo inquired.

"We look at the code directly. See what happens, and see what gets cut out."

"Excuse me?" Miku said, Fear creeping in.

"We'll have to take a good look at your mind. Plug you into a computer, see if Crypton isn't a total ass and uses something that can be visualized—"

"You want to plug me in?"

Galaco eyed the rest of the table. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely no," Miku protested, about to stand from her chair.

"That's a problem?" she asked.

"Of course it is!" the tealette couldn't help but hiss, but regretted her hostility. "Can't we— Can't we do it wirelessly? I can transmit insane amounts of data over bluetooth, or via Wi-Fi…"

"Unlikely," Gumi answered. "Your code, from the source, before the supposed filter, won't be available wirelessly. We need to plug into your very brain."

The Vocaloid could feel herself start to shake.

"You said that at Crypton, they could open you up, right? So it's not like we got to rip you apart to do it. Just open your body, find a port, plug you in, and see what's going on," Galaco explained.

"Seems doable to me."

Miku wanted to stand and run, but felt like she would collapse instead. Her mouth went dry, her emotions were going crazy. Curiosity had taken a morbid interest, Want was revolted, and Fear was desperate to leave the situation. In the end, she could only croak, "No."

"Don't worry! Worst case scenario, you'll just have to consent to the exchange or something. It's not like it's going to hurt. You won't even have to do anything."

Miku couldn't handle it any longer; she pushed away from the table and stood, ready to leave, to go to another room, any other room, yet already she felt her knees buckle. But before she could fall, or take a step, Lily caught her and embraced her.

When had she stood? How was she so quick? Did she see it coming? Was she trying to stop her? Was she trying to trap her?

As Fear ran through all the worst-case scenarios, preparing punches and kicks and flailing beyond control, Want couldn't help but melt a little.

This was a _hug_.

At the wide-eyed realization that this gesture was not one that put her a danger, but one of comfort, Miku couldn't stop herself from returning it, wrapping her arms around the woman tightly. The blonde's shoulder proved to be an excellent hiding place from the world, her warmth a safe blanket from any cold words or painful strikes, the embrace the guarantee that she'll stay closed, unopened and unviolated.

She couldn't help but cling to the woman for dear life.

"I'm afraid that this isn't going to be as simple as plugging in a USB cable," Lily softly whispered, her tone strict. "Miku isn't like some laptop you just bought from a store, and her thoughts aren't like your text files."

"What's the big deal, though?" Galaco whispered.

"If you were asked to lie naked on an operating table, with a cannibal looming over you, and he has access to all your organs, how would you feel?" Cul gently asked. "You're asking something extreme from her."

"If a cannibal eats me, I'm dead. Her parts can always be replaced or fixed," Gumi tried to point out.

"Yes, but where is the guarantee that that'll ever happen, once her lights go out and she's no longer awake to keep you in check?" Cul went on.

"Hm. Sure, I guess," Galaco muttered, sounding unconvinced. "Why a cannibal, though? Why not a surgeon?"

"Not 24 hours ago, you were playing with her like she was nothing more than a toy," Lily reminded them, her voice still quiet. "As far as she can tell, she's just your fun little experiment. A simple curiosity. Nothing more. Nothing, from the way you have treated her, to the way you are now treating her physical and mental privacy, even hints that her that you have her best intentions in mind."

Silence fell over the table for a handful of seconds.

"Right," Gumi eventually mumbled.

"Wasn't she designed for this, though?" Galaco tried one last time.

"As far as we know, the last time she was on the operating table, probably the very one that built her, it was a traumatic experience," Cul reminded them. "And, if I'm not mistaken, Miku hasn't even been plugged into anything in all her… What was it again? Ten years of memory? Designed or not, it's not pleasant."

"Throwing up isn't much fun, is it? Or, let's say, explosive diarrhea. Or acne," Kokone hinted.

"We can't stop that from happening, though," Galaco shot back.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't avoid those if you could," Cul answered.

"Plus, designed or not, it's her body, and it's her mind," Lily spoke, her tone final. "It's her decision to make."

"Right," Gumi repeated.

"Alright, yeah."

Hearing that the danger had passed, knowing that at least one person was ready to keep her safe, Miku loosened the embrace, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"You ok?" the blonde asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. I got scared…"

"Makes sense. If you want, you can go to my room for a breather. Consider it yours for the time being."

She nodded again, and turned to leave. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Gakupo's disappointed expression, and stopped.

"I understand that you are trying to help me," she said, "And I understand that my avoiding what is probably the easiest solution, which only keeps me here longer, can be frustrating for you. I promise that I won't completely disregard this plan, and will consider it, really. All I ask is for time. I just— I don't trust you yet. In the meantime, I'd be glad to help around the house and make myself useful in any way I can. I may ask questions you may find silly or stupid, so it might be even more frustrating in the beginning… But I'll do my best. You are already doing so for me. It's only fair that I try to do the same."

Gakupo looked at her the entire time she spoke, and when she was done, he gave a simple, short nod.

That was enough for her. She went upstairs to Lily's room, shut the door behind her, and collapsed on the bed.

Her emotions were still a bit stirred. Fear was barely catching its breath, with Want and Sadness both conflicted, Curiosity as creative as ever, Apathy ready to free her from the emotional havoc with cold, blissful detachment, and Heartbreak determined to keep her from giving in.

She was still so confused, not knowing if she ought to feel more, or less, safe than before. She had shelter, she even had the beginnings of a plan, but who were her allies? Who were those who promised to fix her?

The Vocaloid sighed. Why did she even sigh? She took in oxygen to assist in the combustion of any edible matter ingested. Most of the time, she didn't even need to intake any more oxygen, and was breathing for show. Yet, it helped. Somehow, filling herself up, expanding her chest like a bubble to the point that she felt she would burst open, and then letting it all out, letting it just go, it helped.

It really did.

Crying, that helped too. She could cry so that she could do it for the camera. She could cry on command. But letting sadness seep out, being able to express it, realizing that yes, she's upset enough that she has to express it, that it's not all in her mind, it felt good. It was a relief.

The hug felt good, too. It felt safe. Luka's poor attempt at an embrace mere days prior paled in comparison, and somehow even thinking that made her sink into a deep sadness. Being held, the warmth, the comfort, it was so human. So unlike the Vocaloids. So unlike everything she had ever remembered.

But being scared was the worst. Not knowing what people wanted, when they wanted to be in a position where they could do anything? It was terrifying. And they were so nonchalant about it. It terrified her to her core.

A soft knock resounded through the room. After the initial surprise, Miku stumbled to her feet and opened the door. There, she found Cul, who seemed just as surprised.

"You didn't lock the door?"

"Excuse me?"

The woman smiled warmly. "Sorry, I'm just here to chat a bit, if you want. I was just a bit surprised that you didn't lock the door. You seemed so fearful, earlier, so I thought it would be the first thing you'd do."

"Lock the door?" Miku parroted her in confusion. Somehow, even though she knew the definition of those words, she couldn't remember ever imagining the concept. "How?"

"Oh, you don't know how?"

"No."

"Would you like me to show you?"

Miku nodded, and let the woman enter. The redhead quickly demonstrated how pushing in a small button in the middle of the knob locked the door.

"Like this, nobody can get inside anymore."

"How do I leave, then?"

"Just turn the knob," she replied, demonstrating. "You'll always be free to come and go as you please. But people won't be able to disturb you if you don't wish for them to."

Miku smiled timidly. "I wish I'd known that last night."

Cul chuckled, "I imagine. At least you know, now. And I imagine you understand that sometimes, you'll walk into doors that won't open for you."

"Of course. Thank you for sharing with me."

"No problem."

The Vocaloid smiled, and felt Fear take center stage in her mind again. "You wished to speak?"

"Ah, yes. It's somewhat delicate, though. May I?" she asked, pointing towards the doorknob. Miku nodded, letting her lock the door, isolating them from the others. "Thank you. We can sit, if you'd prefer."

Miku sat on the bed, and Cul took the chair by the desk.

"I'm here to tell you a bit about everybody," the redhead admitted. "Everyone here is my friend, and it shook me to see you so scared of them. But I tried to put myself in your situation, and it makes sense: you don't know them like I do. I figured it might help you if I shared with you how I know them all."

The tealette nodded slowly. "That's very considerate of you."

Cul smiled, shy but flattered. "Thanks. I try. That's— That's actually something I wanted to tell you about. I bet you're a bit confused about me: why was I so easily swayed to help you, and the like."

"I'll admit that that was a concern of mine."

Her smile dropped slightly, and she stared at her hands: she was picking at her nails and cracking her knuckles alternatively. "Truth be told, I've always had a bit of trouble figuring out what people felt, meant, intended. All my life, it's always been like everybody spoke an entire language I couldn't speak. Things like sarcasm, expressions, things like that, I just— I didn't get it. I got into music because it seemed to be the greatest collection of expressions you could find at a high density, and in an easily consumable format. Add to that the stories, the way people managed to get their messages across. It really helped me. I now write music for a living, so you can say that that was life-defining. But sometimes, I still can't help but feel— I can't help but feel like I'm something like a robot."

Miku frowned, but seeing how the woman avoided her eyes, how she nervously fiddled with her fingers, she realized that the woman had told her something deeply personal. "You didn't have to—"

"I did. It feels like I did. Even for humans, other humans aren't always easy. And it's not always easy to deal with me. You need to tell me what you want from a conversation, otherwise I'll never get it. If you tell me an expression I've never heard before, I'll take it literally. Anything subtle or vague just soars over my head. I don't even get some jokes. But that also means I don't get insulted easy, because I often can't even tell people intend to hurt me unless it's glaringly obvious! I'm less…normal than you at some point. But for some reason, that's ok, but only because I'm borne from another human. The fact that I'm made of flesh and blood give me a free pass. So—" she sighed. "You know, I can't even tell the difference between you and anybody else. I don't know if that's just me being me or if you're really that close to being a person. But as far as I'm concerned, you're another person to me. In fact, you're delightfully easy to read: I've seen you fascinated, curious, and terrified all in one morning. I can't just disregard all of that simply because you're made of metal. Your mind and the way you express your thoughts are legitimate."

"I— Thank you," Miku managed to choke out, her eyes tearing up.

"Don't mention it," Cul said, her smile back. "It takes some effort for me to tell what people are feeling, but it's always worth it in the end."

"I can imagine," she mumbled, wiping her cheek with her sleeve. "I'm also sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't think I ever thought that humans could be different from other humans in this way. You have all been a goal for me. I wanted to be 'human', I still want to be, to some degree. I never even began to imagine that you all react to life, and live life, in different ways."

"Yeah, there's a lot of little broken ones among us," Cul said with an airy chuckle. "In fact, don't be surprised if you find that literally everyone is a little bit broken."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The phrase 'nobody is perfect' goes a bit further than you'd think. Everybody has an issue. Some have trauma, some an injury, and some have been so perfectly protected from harm that they don't even understand the concept, making them ignorant. There's not one single easy walk through life."

"Wow…" Miku sighed again. "I can hardly believe that."

"Everybody in this home has a little something like that."

"Really?"

Cul nodded. "Gakupo has been harsh with you. He's like that with everybody he meets."

"Why is that?"

The woman took her time to think about it. "I'm not sure how much I can say. I know I intended to come here to make you understand who my friends are, but I'm afraid that you'll define their entire personality around their flaws."

"Ah…"

"They're more than what you've observed so far. And they're more than everything I could ever say about them."

"I understand."

She nodded. "Alright. Gakupo is… He's the real man of the house. A fierce protector, not just physically, too. Whenever we have a problem, a dilemma, or a question that's a bit tougher than the usual stuff, we usually go to him, because we know, from the bottom of our hearts, that he's got our best intentions in mind. Even if conflicts arise between two of us, we always as for him to mediate, because his decision will benefit us all in the long run. It's been proven time and time again: he loves us all deeply."

Miku bit her lip. "I guess I understand that as well. That— That makes sense."

"Don't worry if he takes some time to warm up to you. Sooner or later, you'll cross this line in the sand that decides if you're an outsider of a friend, and he'll be fighting for your best interest, too."

"You really think so?"

Cul hesitated, which made Fear return in full force, but eventually she spoke, saying, "At first, I wasn't. I was convinced he saw as you nothing more than a machine. But since he's started reading on that damned tablet of his… Give him time. Let him get used to you."

She nodded. "And what of Galaco? And Gumi?"

"You're scared of them."

"To death. I understand that Gumi is nice to me only because Lily asks it of her, so I cannot tell what she wants from me. She fixed me, yes, but— I'm scared."

Cul chuckled again, but humorlessly. "It is so strange for me to hear this about my friends. Galaco is the sweetest girl. A bit possessive, sure, but, her heart is golden. And Gumi is just a bit…blunt, in both her ways, and her way of thinking: once she comes to a decision, she rarely budges, which is both a blessing and a curse, given the situation."

"I'm afraid that she has decided that I'm nothing like a human."

"I'm afraid of the same."

Miku started wringing her hands again. "Is Lily really the only thing standing between her and her dismantling me?"

"Gumi wouldn't just start tearing you apart, but don't expect her to respect you unless Lily is there," Cul shrugged. "Do you know why Lily has this sway over her?"

"No."

"They're in love. You know what that means, right?"

The Vocaloid was flabbergasted. "Lily and Gumi?"

"Yes. They share rooms all the time. Though it's usually Lily's because Gumi likes her private space."

"I can hardly believe it," Miku sighed. "They're so different. Lily is so…"

"I know what you mean. She's the way she is because she grew up in a grueling situation."

The tealette frowned. "How so?"

"Lily's family situation was dangerous and toxic. Her father beat her, her mother would let it happen, and her brother wouldn't say a word to anybody because it would be 'embarrassing' to have such a weak sister like her."

Miku was floored. "Her family hurt her?"

"Yes. For her entire childhood, she was treated like sub-human trash. She heard her name rarely, and only in the form of angry yells. She grew up as an annoyance, a punching bag, a scapegoat, an embarrassment. In her teens, she dropped out of school, stole a car, tried to sell it at a mechanic's. There, she met Gumi. They've been joined at the hip ever since."

The Vocaloid replayed the conversation she'd overheard in her mind, and suddenly it all made sense. "I— I see."

Cul frowned. "Are you alright?"

"No. I always thought that being human would be— Not like this."

"People aren't perfect. Hopefully, you and your friends will be better than us lot."

Miku frowned. "But if people aren't perfect… Is this some prerequisite to being human?"

Cul smiled again, sadly. "That's the eternal question. Must one suffer in order to be happier? Must one be hated in order for them to love with all their heart? True or not, I don't think you'd have to worry about it: you're suffering already."

"…Right."

"If you worry for Lily, don't. Although there will always be some damage, she has healed for the most part, and continues to get help. Gumi is there for her, as is Gakupo, Kokone, Galaco, and I."

"If you say so…" she mumbled, unsure of how she'd see the blonde next time they'd cross paths. "I'll do my best to not let what you've taught me influence me too much."

"Thank you." The woman sighed, and sat up straight. "Well, I still have a thousand things to say and share, but I'd rather take a little break."

"I agree."

"How about you help me cook lunch? I'll show you around the kitchen."

Miku smiled. "I'd be happy to help. I can cook a bit."

"Alright, follow me. We're making puttanesca."

Cul stood, and Miku gladly followed.

"You know how to make pasta by hand?"

"No…"

"I'll teach you. Once we're in the kitchen, get flour, seven eggs and some salt. I'll take care of the sauce."


	16. To Be Human

**Chapter 15, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After lunch —which had been an entirely new learning experience— Miku spent the afternoon settling in. First of all, she asked Lily for some pajamas for the night. Once that question was asked, the entire issue of a wardrobe for the tealette was raised, but Miku revealed that she didn't always need new clothes, really. Granted, she had the habit of wearing a new outfit every day, but there was no necessity to change, except maybe fabric wear and cumulation of dust, dirt, and stains.

This surprised the humans, which in turn surprised the Vocaloid. Did people change clothes often for other purposes than aesthetic ones?

This lead to the discovery of the 'bathroom', that small room with a sink. Miku knew about the sink, at least: washing hands was essential to get foodstuffs off the skin. But it would appear that humans needed to wash their hands far more often: their skin got oily, they needed to sweat, and the environment in general wasn't as sterile as in the Vocaloid mansion. People sneezed, coughed, yawned. Then, there was the whole affair of everything else they did in the bathroom! Miku could understand that they couldn't burn all of the nutrients food supplied to them; they physically couldn't do it. But knowing that the unused material still had to go somewhere left the tealette both incredibly curious, confused, and somewhat revolted. The toilet served for that, a device she didn't particularly want to get close to.

The shower and the bathtub were another story. Humans not only needed to clean their entire bodies for similar reasons as washing their hands, but it was also relaxing, apparently. Warm water was calming, and some even preferred ice cold water to start the day. Miku expressed curiosity towards trying it, but ultimately decided not to, at least not right away. Ever since that arm had found that opening at her side, she wasn't sure her skin was even made of a single piece, or if she was waterproof. Sure, she could remember Rin and Len playing in the ocean, but she couldn't remember if extra precaution had been taken for that day, and couldn't be sure that nothing else had been changed the day the routine was imposed on them. Still, she liked the idea that humans found such joy in such a simple concept. Also, fresh out of the shower, they smelled nice, like soap and shampoo, which was wonderful.

Even though the differences between man and machine had been made more clear, it was decided that Lily would nonetheless give her some clothes for the moment, and when the human idols would return to work the next day, they'd go pick up some extra shirts, pants, socks and the like. Then, the Vocaloid helped Lily move some of her things to Gumi's room, which was a bit less of a bedroom and more of a garage: opposite the bed there was a veritable collection of parts, tools, and a mixture of sheet music and blueprints. With Lily's things gone, the room was entirely the tealette's, for the time being, at least. The blonde assured her that she didn't mind the move, and Gumi apparently shared that opinion, but the hassle made the tealette feel bad regardless.

She didn't have time to ponder it, though: Cul immediately gave her a few tasks to do. At first, Miku thought it was because she had promised to help, to better deserve the hospitality, but she sooner discovered that the woman also simply wanted to help her get her bearings. As they went from room to room, the Vocaloid learned the layout of the house, and some of the history of each location. She saw that there was a single, multi-purpose recording room, an entire spare room full of extra things that didn't fit anywhere else, a downstairs bathroom, and so on. In the living room, Miku got to hear about the movies, more books, and so much music, all stored in digital format, consumable via tablets or via the huge TV screen that was otherwise nearly invisible, hidden against the wall.

Despite the presence of the recording room, the home these idols lived in was purely to live in and to enjoy, unlike the Vocaloid mansion. This was their safe place, their haven, where they could rest and breathe with no need to worry. All living together, instead of all living on their own, had extra bonuses: from a purely practical point of view, they were never truly alone, making socializing easier, and ensuring a support system. Even if they really wanted some alone time, all they had to do was lock their door. From the legal standpoint is where the 'Humane Paparazzi' act came in. It meant that they could get some peace and quiet as long as they were home, with the tradeoff being that the moment they stepped foot out of the area, they were hounded. They couldn't wear special reflective clothes that rendered flash photographs completely useless, either, but that was part of the deal. It also extended to their tours, luckily: if they needed to travel for work, their vehicle became an extension of their home. Other celebrities chose to live alone, preferring the solitude over the privacy, but none of the Internet singers could comprehend that.

From there, Miku also had much to learn about being social. There was so much to living together than sharing a room when you felt like it and going in a locked room when you didn't: different people were more or less ready to talk or share, and even then, their mood could change that entirely. Nobody was ready to be outgoing and talkative all the time; everybody needed some time alone. Also, disagreements happened more often than she could remember from Luka's memories, but by that point, Miku couldn't precisely tell to what extent human cohabitation varied from the Vocaloids. It probably was very different; humans weren't as predictable, as a single sentence or event could either sour or make a whole day. If two people weren't in a good mood and were in the same space, the chances that something would burst or break were fairly high. Then again, if everybody was at least fairly disposed, an entire evening could be a blast!

Miku's mind spun as she tried to take that all in as she dusted the bookcases, carefully picking up baubles and statuettes to clean them before setting them down. She could already imagine that dealing with humans would be difficult, what with having to gauge moods, asking if they had time to talk before anything else, picking up on hints of poor sleep, bad news, or simply not wanting to socialize. It was such a wild game of subtle details and honestly, it scared her a bit.

When the living room was all neat and clean, it was time to cook dinner. Cul was obviously the chef, as Meiko had once been, and she once again took it upon herself to teach Miku about new foods, all the while sharing neat info. When Galaco and Kokone came downstairs and hung around the kitchen with them, information overflowed, especially about the outside world. She learned of supermarkets, where food came from. And stores, where they could buy pretty much anything! If physical locations couldn't provide a hard-to-find object, the internet filled the gaps. One could go to the stores for pickup, or have things delivered straight to their door, may it be by hand, or by drone. The same went for food, too. And not just packaged food, but hot, ready-to-eat food! And from all over the world! She learned that different food types came from different regions, with different essential ingredients, flavors, textures and colors.

She was also amazed by how connected the world was. Not all food could grow everywhere, so every day, thousands and thousands of tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, you name it, was flown to and from most any location on the planet. Every country shared, bought, sold their goods. This was the same for minerals, metals, textiles, kinds of wood, anything!

By the time dinner was served, Miku's entire outlook on the globe as a whole had changed, and likewise, the way she thought about her hosts had evolved.

Gakupo was protective, mean to her not because of her nature, but because of the pain she could bring to his friends. On the flip-side, Lily truly was her ally, looking out for her best interest, with no discernible ulterior motives. Cul was also a friend Miku could trust. From this knowledge, the Vocaloid could easily conclude that things weren't as straightforward for the other Internet Co members. Galaco was a fan, but why? What pushed her to admire 'old school' stuff so much, and did this prevent her from seeing the Vocaloid as a person, or did it encourage her to? And Gumi, why was she so blunt? Was her reason rooted in trauma, much like for Lily, or was it simply in her upbringing? And Kokone: who was she? What motivated her?

They weren't just names to the tealette any more, even if she knew next to nothing more. Knowing how events could shape a soul, how interactions could influence a mind, her hosts became complex, worth of more respect, but still deserving of apprehension.

Miku wasn't outright scared, not anymore. But she remained wary.

Over dinner, she learned about her host's plans for the week: from the next day on, they'd be working at their studio, and would be out for most of the day, every day, until the weekend. Some had to record songs, others had to film videos, and there were interviews to go to, hospitals to visit, concerts to organize, deals to finalize.

They were just as busy, if not more so, than the Vocaloids had ever been. Because of both their nature and the way they worked, they didn't produce nearly as much songs, but the quality of every hit was undeniable. Crypton worked the numbers game, going for quantity, while Internet Co went for quality. When she shared her observations, it was as if a lightbulb had turned on in Galaco's head.

"So that's how you guys stay profitable for Crypton: you guys can output way, way much more than we can. You're so efficient, it would be a loss to destroy you."

"Why keep them in mechanical bodies, though?" Kokone wondered.

Gakupo cleared his throat. "I'm sure there's a reason."

But he didn't clarify what he meant by that.

After dinner, they all watched a movie in the living room. The image on the TV was so much sharper than the screen back home, and the story was so good, Miku was amazed. She could easily picture herself spending the following twenty-four hours binge-watching all of their movies, all of the series, reading all of the books. These creations were vastly superior to the curated list they had at home.

The humans went to bed early after the movie, and Miku imitated them. She powered down easily, comforted by the presence of the lock. The next morning, she got up even earlier than her hosts, and set some tea and brewed some coffee so that it was ready for them when they came downstairs. She even had enough time to set the table, preparing the bread and jams and meats.

Lily and Gumi were the first down, and the blonde was immensely grateful.

"I can't remember the last time I came downstairs to seeing breakfast all ready," she whispered into her coffee mug, evidently still drowsy. "When was it? The last week back at your place, Gumi? Your mom wanted to see us off before we moved out."

"That's it," her girlfriend replied, her eyes downcast for the most part.

Gakupo came down next, also appreciative, followed by Cul, then Kokone, and finally Galaco, who didn't eat much in the morning anyway, but who loved the effortless, free mug of tea.

That first morning was also informative beyond description for the tealette: she learned that the previous morning, by the time she'd gotten downstairs, everybody had already gotten dressed and was awake and ready for the day. That early morning, though, only half of them had bothered to change out of their pajamas, and those who hadn't still had 'sleep' written all over them: their hair was messy, their skin oily and puffy, their movements lethargic. Most yawned periodically, too, stretching as they finished their beverage or sandwich.

Then those who hadn't gotten changed yet headed upstairs to finish getting ready, leaving Gakupo, Cul and Kokone behind to chit-chat about their day. Miku didn't listen to their hushed conversation as she cleared the table, putting everything in the dishwasher just the way Cul had showed her, and putting all the food back in its place. When she was done, everybody was still waiting on Lily and Gumi, which wasn't a problem: they weren't due to leave for another half hour.

"Thanks for the breakfast," Cul said with another stretch. "Saved us a bunch of time."

"It's no problem."

"Yes, it was greatly appreciated," Gakupo said with a nod. "I do have one question, though. It's completely unrelated to this."

"Oh, alright."

"How much are you actually considering Galaco's plan?"

Miku froze: ever since Cul had joined her in her room, she hadn't given it any thought, at least not actively.

"I'm considering it: it's the best lead I have," she admitted. "I'm simply a little bit scared of lying vulnerable on a bed, with you all looking into my mind."

"What'll it take for you to do it?"

"Trust. I need to be able to trust you."

Gakupo nodded, and said nothing more. Lily and Gumi arrived soon after, and just like that, they all disappeared.

Miku occupied herself the best she could. Cul had told her how to do the laundry while they cleaned around that room, so the tealette took to that, pausing only to consult the manual for assistance. When the first load of laundry was busy, she watched a movie. With that done, the second load of laundry went in, the first one went in the dryer. She read a short book she stumbled upon, and halfway through, the cycle started anew.

In the mid-afternoon, all of the clothes had been washed, dried, and folded. Instead of indulging in her movies, Miku decided to reflect a bit more on her situation, and namely, her demand for trust before anything happened.

The more she thought about it, the more she hated herself for saying that. She knew, to a certain extent, that Galaco and Gumi weren't bad people. They weren't mean. And, if she asked Lily or Cul to oversee the operation, she could even trust that nothing would go awry. Maybe they could talk about some safety measures: promising to keep Miku conscious for one. Maintaining an emergency stop would be something else.

But the main thing that she hated was how she had so callously prioritized her own happiness over her fellow Vocaloid's well-being. Who knew when she would fully trust the humans, and this delay would only come to harm the other Vocaloids. Any day she let go would negatively affect them all.

Miku had been selfish and short-sighted, and she loathed herself for it.

Yet, she still feared being exposed. Remembering the metallic arm, the clic of her torso as it found the latch, she shivered, and that nausea returned. She could barely even imagine, lying open and vulnerable on a table surrounded by relative strangers! And they wanted to go further than her body, and plug her mind into a computer, and spy it!

She took a deep breath.

Gumi wasn't a mean person. In fact, if Lily had found refuge in her, then Gumi probably possessed a certain skill with handling delicate situations. Remembering how carefully she'd dealt with her hand, there was almost no doubt that the woman would treat her with attention and respect, no matter her personal opinions of her identity.

Miku gulped, and eyed her finger; the whole time, it was kept under the bandage. Since Gumi had fixed it, it had stopped hurting, though she hadn't flexed it much: the thick textile prevented that. Maybe it was all better. It could be.

She delicately removed the bandage, and to her surprise, it wasn't quite done healing yet. The skin had closed up, but there was still a faint line, betraying where it had been torn apart. After testing it for a few minutes, she decided that it was good enough to keep without a bandage: the skin would continue healing just fine.

Now, what about Galaco? Miku still knew so little about her. Cul said that she was sweet and kind, but the tealette couldn't quite trust that blinded fascination she had, even if their exchanges since then had been normal enough. She didn't know how the woman would act with her in an enclosed setting, and couldn't tell if she'd be abusive.

She didn't know.

But that didn't matter: she had to do it for her friends. For Meiko, Kaito, Rin, Len, and Luka.

Time ticked on, and Miku got to start cooking dinner, knowing they'd be home relatively late that day. She decided to make an old favorite of hers', worrying somewhat if they would like it as much as she did. It was a vegetable soup, but she also prepared some noodles, should some like to eat it with some extra substance.

When the Internet Co team got home, they were surprised by the smell of dinner, and the sight of finished laundry. They ate like wolves and talked passionately about their day, the deals and the shots and the songs and the meetings. When they were done and sat back, fed and content, in their chairs, Galaco let out a deep sigh.

"I'll be honest, I could get used to this: finally home, no need to cook, no laundry to do, no other chores? It's like another day off."

"Yeah, I think we could all get used to having you around," Kokone agreed.

"Aside from all our dirty work, what did you do today?" Lily asked.

"Nothing much. I watched a couple of movies, I read a book, but I've also been thinking a bit about everything."

"I'm glad," Gakupo muttered, and Miku couldn't tell if she ought to feel offended or praised.

After dinner, Miku was forbidden from helping with the table or dishes (everybody has to play a part, Cul insisted), so she approached Galaco.

"May I speak with you?"

"Oh, sure! In the living room?"

"Maybe somewhere more private, if you wouldn't mind."

"Alright, lead the way."

Once in Lily's room, Miku sat on the bed, and Galaco took the chair, much like Cul had.

"So, what's up?"

The tealette hesitated. "I was considering letting you and Gumi go through with your plan. To see if there's some filter in my mind."

The woman seemed surprised. "I thought you wanted to see if you could trust us first."

"I do, I do, but—" she sighed, wringing her hands. "But my friends don't have that kind of time. I can't afford to be so self-centered."

"Self-centered? What? Are you telling me that your well-being doesn't matter?"

"Right now, it can't. If I'm to save my friends, I can't spare the time."

"Hey, hey, that's nonsense!" Galaco stood and sat on her knees on the ground in front of the tealette. "Let me tell you want my mom has always told me: you're your number one priority, and first things first! You love your friends, it's obvious, but you can't just sacrifice your own well-being for them like that!"

Miku shrugged a bit. "In the long run, I'm not sacrificing anything: I will be happy if the time saved allows me to be reunited with my friends."

The woman pouted. "Alright, fair enough. But how about this: imagine how heartbreaking it would be for them to hear that you've made yourself suffer for them?"

The tealette frowned. "I'm… I'm not sure what—"

"One thing is obvious, Miku: we all hate to see loved ones suffer, and we hate to be the cause of suffering, even, I can't stress this enough, even if it's well meant! I respect that you want to trust me first, and so does Gumi, and everyone else, and your friends will, too."

Miku tried to find a counter argument, but failed. She shrugged. "I just feel like I don't have much time."

"There might not be a lot of time, you're right," Galaco admitted. "Say, what do you think would help? How could I get you to trust me? I can't speak for Gumi or anything, I can't make you trust her, but I'll do my best to help you with me!"

"…How about you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Oh! That's easy!"

So Galaco told her of pretty much everything that came to mind, starting with her childhood. She grew up in a pretty average family, single child but with tons of cousins nearby. She was close to even her extended family, and most importantly, her great grandfather. He was collector of strange things, old things, weird things, things that didn't seem to have a purpose. He had a room full of bottles with the original labels still stuck to them, a collection of typewriters, hand-powered sewing machines. Some of these antiques went so far back that even touching them, exposing them to the oils on skin, could destroy them. All of this, kept in a little antique store he called 'The Kraken'. He sold his wares to buy new ones, and often traded.

Galaco loved the place, and her most vivid memories were of her in the store, walking around, touching nearly nothing. She couldn't pin down why exactly she loved it all so much, but her Grandfather had his reasons: they spanned from 'Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it' all the way to 'without history, a country has no identity'. It was about preservation, remembering, respecting.

"I'm not really about all that," Galaco admitted. "Sure, those are lessons I've continued to remember: I'll never forget my family, since they're the ones who got me here in the first place. But I'm no historian, I'm no renovator. I just like seeing how things were. It lets me see how things change, and progress. It's like watching a person grow, but it grows slower, and over much more time, and you'll never, ever see them reach adulthood, since time never ends. Since we only live so long, I like seeing what others have seen, how the past is somehow here to stay, in one way or another."

"I— I think I see."

The woman went on to describe her rise to fame, the grueling effort of hours upon hours of practice, contest after contest rejected and denied, how her family continued to house her even after most of her friends had moved abroad, most of her cousins had left. They didn't care that everybody else seemed to move on, and helped Galaco reach her dreams. Eventually, Internet Co found her, almost entirely by accident.

"Most of the others were already here by then," she explained. "It was a bit nerve-wracking, to be the newbie, surrounded by idols I'd already heard about. But they welcomed me, and taught me more than I can say! I owe so much to everyone here."

Miku nodded. "That's impressive."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. It's already late: I'm afraid I kept you up."

Galaco waved it off. "Nah, don't worry about it. I still have some composing to do, so I was planning on staying up late anyway."

"If you say so."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Sleep well, Miku!"

"You, too."

Galaco left with a bounce in her step, and the tealette was a little bit upset, a little bit in awe.

She, and her friends, had been created to sing. It had always been their intention, there was no question about it. So how did Galaco, one person among billions of others, end up at Internet Co? How did the five others do that? If they all started from square one, then what separated them from the rest?

She lied down. Come to think of it, 'square one' wasn't even a uniform thing. Gumi grew up in a garage, or worked for one: that was where Lily had met her. And Lily, who had grown from a crushed soul…

Six people had somehow ended up here, together, putting their differences aside, because they were all talented? Or was it hard work? Galaco had called it 'luck', but Miku hated to think that these people had reached this point simply because the odds had been in their favor. If it was a numbers game, then how many losers were there? How many miserable, talented, hard-working souls will never reach victory, simply because others had the luck to win?

She sighed. Humanity was far more complex, interwoven, yet broken, miserable, and tarnished than she'd imagined. It made sense for Gakupo to be cautious. It made sense for Galaco to be curious. It made sense for Gumi to be rational.

Their lives had sculpted them to be so. Nothing and nobody could blame them.

Miku wondered, all of a sudden, what she'd do once she'd get her friends back. Not only out of Crypton, but also back in their own minds. What would they do, then? Try to integrate this faceted and shattered world of humans? A world of stolen opportunities and hidden treasures, a world of love and heartbreak? Would they be accepted, or rejected? Or would the Vocaloids, freed from their shackles, be forced to return to their creators?

Would the numbers game fail them?

Miku didn't sleep that night.


	17. Building Bridges

**Chapter 16, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, Miku did the same for her hosts, preparing breakfast, and when they left, doing chores. She didn't quite feel tired, but she could feel that she was a bit out of it: things slipped out of her grip, she couldn't see things that were right in front of her, she couldn't remember the last thing someone had said to her, even after the shortest lull un the conversation. She feared that the others had noticed: Galaco had expressed concern when Miku almost put the bread in the dishwasher, while Cul and Lily glanced at her a bit more often than usual.

Miku was scared, but in a different way than before. On top of the fear of failing her friends, she knew that, even if she were to do everything right, they could still lose.

It made her wonder if it would even be worth to attempt. She could keep her humanity, be cursed with her knowledge and her heartbreak, and her friends could be left blissfuly unaware, free of effort, of the vain battle. Part of Miku reminded her that it was always worth the shot: not trying at all guaranteed failure, after all. But it scared her. It really did.

So much scared her, recently.

When the others weren't around to monitor her actions and to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, she did her best to stay alert, to not let herself sink into her mind, but it was difficult. She resorted to movies eventually, but was surprised by Gakupo coming home early.

"Oh, welcome back," she greeted from the living room, pausing the movie. "Is everything alright?"

He nodded. When the tealette made to stand, he gestured for her to stay seated, and took a seat accross from her, in the armchair. "Everything is alright. I felt that I had to talk to you, that is all. Don't worry: there's nothing urgent scheduled today."

Fear, who had been lurking at the forefront of her mind for the entire day, immediately went into a panic. What did he want with her?

"I hope this isn't anything bad," she tried, hoping she didn't look too fearful.

"Not at all, not at all. I'm not here to kick you out or anything, or even to reprimand you. In fact…" He sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "I'm here to give you an apology."

Curiosity pushed Fear aside in a heartbeat. "Excuse me?"

"I'm here to apologize, and explain," he started, staring at his hands. "I've been harsh with you, and very unforgiving. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to truly defend myself, for now that I have hindsight, I can't really tell what I was thinking anymore."

"No, it's alright, I understand," Miku tried to assure him, spotting his distress.

He smiled. "Yes, you do, don't you? You see much more than any of us give you credit for." He sighed again. "Though I imagine you'd like to know where my sudden change of heart came from?"

She nodded.

"Remember that I started reading, shortly after you came here?"

"Yes."

"I was looking up the various laws surrounding AIs like you."

The tealette had to stop herself from gulping. "Ah."

"I thought it would be appropriate to come to you directly, especially since I've noticed that you've been a little bit scatterbrained this morning. I thought it could help. Don't worry, it's good news, at least for the most part."

"Oh," she relaxed somewhat. "I'm curious to hear what you've learned."

He sat back in his chair, still looking apologetic, but with a bit more optimism than before. "Alright. You have time? This might take a little while."

"I have no other priorities at the moment."

"Perfect." He rummaged a bit in his pocket and pulled out the tablet again. "I had to take notes: there's a lot to explain, and I'm afraid to forget anything. Ok, let's see…

"First things first: all of this was written about fifty years after the creation of you Vocaloids, or about one hundred years ago. Obviously, it took the law a long time to catch up to the issue, but at least they nailed all of the points of concern. Also, this operates on an international level: no matter the country you go to, the same laws will apply to you: it's not entirely unlike human rights.

Second thing, is that first of all, it's important to identify the kind of AI we're dealing with. There are three kinds: Limited, True, and Superhuman. Limited AIs can learn and perform very specific tasks, like copying a voice, or navigating terrain. True AIs could be defined by you, Miku. You have a range of emotions, can learn new skills and perform them, can have conversations, and understand the concept of an identity. Superhuman AIs are capable of teaching themselves, like humans can, but at an accelerated rate, constantly learning how to learn better, how to perfect themselves even more, so they would be able to do everything better than humanity could ever hope to very quickly. Theoretically, the line between a Limited and a True AI is large: it would need to master a whole set of skills, and would even need to learn how to bypass hardware constraints. On the other hand, the difference between a True AI and a Superhuman one is quite thin. In theory, you could simply access the internet and absorb all human knowledge at insane speeds, and continue to learn at exponential speeds from there. Any questions so far?"

The tealette hesitated. "At this point, would you consider my friends back home True or Limited?"

"You said that they can't make choices for themselves, have no personal preferences, and only do what they're told to do, right?"

"Yes. Even given the chance for freedom, they do not take it."

"Then they're Limited, and painfully so."

Miku frowned. "Alright then."

"I have a question, if I may."

"Go on."

"You said you are capable of connecting to systems wirelessly. Do you?"

"I used to, back home. But now…" she paused. "Come to think of it, the idea never came to my mind. I think I prefered to learn about things from you, rather than from getting information over the internet. It's less easy and takes more time, but I'd like to think that emotionally, it's more rewarding."

"But if I gave your our wifi password, or allowed you to connect to my tablet via bluetooth, you could access the internet?"

"Yes."

"Would you?"

"I don't think so. Not unless it's absolutely necessary."

"How come?"

"Force of habit. We never connected to anything, before. Maybe we're even discouraged from doing so. Maybe some small line of code in me is discouraging me. I can't tell."

"That's possible," he agreed. "Alright. It's worth considering, when you allow Gumi and Galaco to help you, that you remove this capability altogether. I'll explain why in a moment."

"Alright," she mumbled, but couldn't help but tense up at the suggestion that the upcoming operation be even more invasive.

"Now, with the essential differences between the AI types defined —in layman's terms, at least: the law is very, very good at laying down the specifics— you have to know that since the law's enforcement, the creation, ownership, concealing or assistance in concealing True AIs, and by extension Superhuman AIs, is now illegal. So, since the law has been enforced, very few new AIs have been created. Don't worry: you won't suffer any consequences because, on one hand, you were created before this date, and on the other, the AI is never blamed or punished for their own creation, even if they assist in hiding themselves. This is because… Wait, I had a note here… Ah, there. I quote: 'An AI as intelligent as, or more intelligent than, a human would also comprehend the concept of fairness, of dreams, of potential, and of death. They cannot be punished for being brought into the world, much like how a human child cannot be blamed for being born.' So, no matter what, you won't be the receipient of any legal hell."

"But will you?"

Gakupo frowned. "How so?"

"If I'm a True AI, then you're helping in keeping me secret. Won't this affect you negatively?"

He considered the question for a long time. "I'm not sure, but I don't think so. You were created before the law came into effect, so we can spectulate that your label of 'True' also kicked in by then. If anything, Crypton kept it swept under the rug, and went to far as to reduce your status for convenience's sake."

"But I'm True, and you're hiding me right now. In fact, I'm hiding as well."

"Right. I suppose that we could argue, up until this point, ignorance: we simply didn't know. And from this point on, we could argue that we're acting in your best interest."

"If need be, I'll support that claim," Miku said, surprised by her own sincerity. "After all, we can safetly assume that, once my whereabouts become known, that Crypton will attempt to seize me, and use my friend's Limited status as a reason for me to return: after all, I'm 'just like them'."

"Exactly. It's best for you, and your friends, to stay low for now. Short-term, our actions are questionable, but I don't think anybody would ignore the long-term plan."

She nodded, reassured.

"Alright, where was I… Oh, now it gets a bit complicated. Once a new AI comes to the light, things differ depending on the AI. If it's a Superhuman AI, they'll have huge limitations imposed on them; no internet access, no control over buildings, infrastructure, vehicles, anything. They'll be sealed from the grid and isolated. Meanwhile, any true AIs recognized by the government is granted the same rights as a human, depending a bit on the AI's hardware; if the AI can walk, they can walk around like any person, and if they can speak, they may speak. If their hardware allows them to, and if it respects limitations, they may participate in certain competitions. Regardless of their parts, they may marry, and chose a profession and even vote. They can also be prosecuted for crimes they commit, must pay taxes, and so forth. If a true AI crosses the line to a Superhuman AI, then they will be treated as such."

Miku was flabberghasted. "We— We can do anything people can?"

"Yes. Since you not only think like a human, but also happen to look like one, you'd probably integrate into society rather effortlessly," he said with a smile. "This is also the main reason for my apology: I ought to have treated you like an equal; not as a thing."

Happiness swelled within the Vocaloid. "I can't believe it."

"It's not so easy, though," he reminded her. "If you want to qualify as 'True', there's a very long list of requirements you have to fulfill."

"What are they?"

"First, you need to be able to communicate with other people. For other AIs, it would be with images, text, sound, gestures… Whatever their hardware allows them. You speak like a person, and listen just as well, so there's no problem there. Second, and this is where it gets really finnecky, so I'll try to simplify a bit for both our sakes, you have to have a certain skillset, and a range of knowledge to separate you from a Limited AI, without crossing into the status of 'Superhuman'. This is mostly defined by how quickly you can learn and apply new knowledge. If you don't learn new things at all after a certain point, you're Limited. But if you learn too quickly and too perfectly, that's Superhuman. If you need to listen carefully, and need a few tries to get things right, that's fine. Basically, in the land of humans, do as humans do. You are given some slack in some very precise areas, though: perfect memory for example, which I imagine you posses."

"To be honest, my memory has started failing me. It's not what it used to be," she confessed.

"Oh? When did that start?"

"When my emotions started arriving… I think."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they're directly related. But don't worry about it: if anything, it'll help cement your status as 'True'. There's nothing quite like being human as being imperfect."

She smiled. "Anything else?"

"Right, let's see." Gakupo took a few seconds to find where he had left off. "There's a whole list of things, really. You need a distinct personality, an identity. Having preferences and tastes, hobbies and the like, basically, everything that makes a human, human.

It gets a bit trickier when it comes to a moral code and philosophical way of thinking. There's no objective truth when it comes to these things, but being able to tell if someone is being pointlessly cruel is good, and identifying freedom is a must-have. I'll be honest: of all these things, I can't see a single that that you seem to lack."

"Really?"

"Yes. For all intents and purposes, you're as human as technology can get. At least, if you ask me. Unfortunately, there's one big criteria I'm not sure you fulfill."

Miku, who had been practically floating from happiness, couldn't help but deflate slightly. "Oh?"

"It must be impossible for you to be duplicated."

Her heart dropped. "What?"

"I'm not talking about your body, the parts that make you, don't worry," he hurried to assure her. "Anybody can copy an object if given enough time. It's your mind, that's the point of concern with this question. If we manage to make another Miku, that's ok, but if we can make this new Miku act and think like you, behave and sound like you, then you cannot have the status of True AI: you'd be Limited."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Gakupo put his tablet away. "Humans have perfected cloning a while ago. Give us DNA, and we'll clone it. The end product will look exactly like the source, given enough time. Basically, we have mastered the art of duplicating our 'hardware'. But a person is much more than their genetic code: exterior factors such as trauma, memories, interactions, anything that the individual lives through sculpts the mind within, and this makes that even a genetic clone of an original will have a completely different identity. It's a bit like twins: in the long run, even they grow in different directions. It's the Nature vs Nuture question, and it applies to you, too. If you do not get changed by your environment and your code stays always the same, then you can be copied simply by long and careful observation. Hell, if someone at Crypton kept the original code, and it matches yours, then you are nothing more than a text-to-speech bot in the eyes of the law."

"So I must be able to grow, either because of, or thanks to, external factors."

"Yes."

"Do— Do you think I do that?"

"You'd have to ask Galaco," he confessed. "I don't know how far code can go nowadays. Before you know it, you have a set program for everything. Or maybe, you really are evolving."

"Galaco said I could have evolved to get around that filter Crypton put in our minds."

"If that's the case, then you're already True by default," he said with a reassured smile. "Don't worry, Miku. I'm sure that you'd qualify for True status."

She nodded, and took a deep breath. She felt better, much better, knowing that the law could be on her side once the Vocaloids would come out of hiding. "I hope it'll be the same for my friends."

"We'll see. Only time will tell. But if they're anything like you, then I'd say it's in the bag. There's one last thing, though."

"Oh, ok."

"To make sure that things stay organized and the AIs stay in line, there are regular checks done by some governmental branch, I think. If you're working on a Limited AI, it's easy: just send the code of your project to them, they'll check it, done. If it crosses the line to 'True', then the AI is taken from the creator and given their rights. With True AIs, they require four checkups per year to make sure they don't become Superhuman. Being unable to directly access the Internet via a connection drops that down to once per two years."

"That makes sense."

"I have one question, though: this law came into effect quite a while ago, namely twenty to thirty years before your personalities were wiped, according to your story. Do you have any idea if your status was considered 'True' or 'Limited' at that point?"

"No," Miku confessed. "My memory only goes back ten years, but even from what I glanced from Luka's memories, I don't remember any checkups or conversation about this. Why?"

"I'm a bit confused. Without these checkups, then you were never considered 'True' AIs, not even before your personalities were wiped. This means one of two things: either you never were True, and always were Crypton's pet project. Or you were True then, and Crypton did everything they could to keep it quiet so that they could keep you to themselves. My issue with this second option is that covering up your status, bribing people, faking reports, or whatever, must have taken a substantial amount of effort. So why did they do it for so long, only to change their minds?"

Miku considered what he was saying for a while. "I think, with little to no doubt, that our status was True back then: Luka's thoughts and her way of processing emotion was entirely different from the way I experience those same things right now. But— I don't think it was all that difficult to hide us, and directly related to that, they had a good reason to change their minds."

"How so?"

"There was a very specific rule that we had: we leave our identity at home. So when we traveled, toured, interviewed, we couldn't say 'I'd rather', or 'I like' or ' My favorite'… We had to act like Limited AIs, come to think of it. We were nothing but singers with no personal preferences, machines according to the public eye. So when it came for the checkup, all they had to do was fake whatever code they sent to the company; nobody had any reason to doubt we had grown in the slightest. We didn't complain: as far as we were concerned, we were free when we were at home. It was a fair trade if you asked us. We knew nothing else."

"I see. What made Crypton change its mind?"

Miku wondered if she could afford to be completely honest. "We asked if we could drop the rule. We wanted to be more honest to our fans. After Luka requested this, everything changed."

"So it's that simple."

"Yes."

The man shook his head." Unbelievable."

After a moment of though, he stood and stretched, then peered at the time. "Alright. It's not worth going back to work, so how about we start preparing dinner for everyone?"

"Sounds good!" They started for the kitchen. When he started preparing the table, and she started cutting vegetables, she added, "Thank you for sharing all of this with me, by the way."

"Of course."

"Do the others know anything about this?"

"No, not yet. I was thinking of telling them this evening."

"Alright."

Gakupo heard the slight disappointment in her tone. "Is that a problem?" he asked, concerned.

"No, not really. I was thinking of letting Gumi and Galaco, euh, try to fix me."

"Ah, I see. How about I update everyone today, and tomorrow, we all take a day off?"

"Can you do that?"

"Of course. We gather plenty of vacation days. We can set one aside for you."

She hesitated. "Would Gumi be alright with that?"

When he didn't answer right away, she paused her task. He was leaning against the doorframe, looking somewhat concerned. "I'm sure she will. But—" he stopped himself.

"You're not sure she'd do it because it's a nice thing to do, but mostly because I'm a mechanical curiosity."

It was obvious he didn't want to agree, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yes. Plus, Lily would probably force her. You know about them?"

"Yes."

"Gumi isn't a bad person," Gakupo started, slowly making his way towards her. "She likes seeing how things work, how gears spin and interlock. It's not that she dislikes friendships or other human connections: her love for Lily testifies to that. Add to that the way she sings her heart out, hoping to reach the most isolated in the crowd, the most distant from society… She does seek connections, really. In fact, she tries to build bridges that most others wouldn't even think about building. But she doesn't like debates. She doesn't like having her ideas and knowledge challenged. New concepts don't do well with her. Even this hundred-year old law might not sit all too well with her."

"How come?"

He shrugged. "Upbringing, probably. Sure, Gumi went to school, but her folks are a stubborn bunch. All they really believed in was the cold-hearted certainty of engineering and physics. If a gear is spinning and you get another gear to come into contact with it, then you can bet it'll spin, too. So, this philosophical debate about the soul in the machine, a machine not very different from the thousands of machines she's already seen and fixed, it's a little bit out of her comfort zone."

Miku frowned. "Could I ever change her mind?"

"Probably. She's done a bit of coding before: if they manage to get into your mind, maybe it'll convince her to give you a chance. But there's no garantee. Only time will tell."

"Do you think I could trust her?"

"With the task of fixing you? Absolutely. Regardless of her personal opinion, Gumi's the kind of person who will do something right. She won't touch anything that doesn't need to be touched."

"If you say so."

"Galaco respects you too much to muck it up, too. I'm sure if you add Lily to the mix to keep an eye on it all, or even for moral support, everything will be just fine. Cul doesn't do too well in these emotionally confusing situations, but I'm betting she'll be there too if you ask her to be."

"Would you help?"

He smiled. "I'm not all too good at being comforting. But I'll be here tomorrow, and should you need anything, I'll happily assist in any way I can."

A warm happiness filled the Vocaloid from head to toe. "Thank you."


	18. Eye to the Mind

**Chapter 17, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After dinner, Miku was given some more free time while Gakupo updated his friends on the legalities of their issue. He also told the tealette, shortly before everybody came home, that he also intended to help her friends get home and back into their right state of mind: he wasn't going to leave her on her own any longer.

With all the chores done, and the movies and books stuck in the living room, Miku wandered the halls, excited and nervous. The Vocaloids actually had a chance at freedom, and the number of allies who would help them along the way grew by the day. But the more she thought about her friends, the more impatient she became: she wondered if they missed her, if they had even noticed her absence. Did they think of her at all, or had Master already completely erased her from their memories?

The thought was almost enough to make her cry.

When everybody had been caught up, Galaco came to fetch her, and all together, they discussed the following day's plans: Gumi, Galaco and Lily would be there in Gumi's room, where they had immediate access to all her tools. They'd try to find a way into her mind, and should they locate a 'filter' as Galaco had put it, they'd try to eliminate it. If that wasn't the case, they'd investigate and fight to get towards the same result. On top of that, they'd have to remove Miku's ability to access the internet, if that was possible.

Cul and Gakupo would be at standby, in case they would need something. Kokone would be there, too, for solidarity.

After the next day, regardless if the mission succeeded or not, they also agreed to contact the company that is charged with keeping track of the AIs in the country. After all, keeping Miku hidden for too long could be legally sketchy, and they were relatively certain they could convince them to stay quiet: the wellbeing other AIs depended on it.

Once it was all settled, they watched a movie, then went to bed, as if such planning were totally normal for the humans.

And Miku was buzzing with excitement and fear. Fear, yes, was bounding around her mind, but Curiosity was just as busy, with Want fueling it all.

She couldn't wait.

She had never been so afraid.

Powering down took two attempts: the window popped up, telling her to cool down first, and to stop her security system (Fear) and motivator (Want and Curiosity).

The next morning came almost too soon, yet not soon enough. Her mind was spinning, she could barely even eat. Gumi seemed relaxed, Lily was excited, and Galaco was constantly swinging between absolute joy and reminding herself to stay calm. To some extent, Miku could tell that Lily and Galaco were happy knowing that the AI had the same rights as they had. Lily was a lot less defensive, but that was also because Gakupo no longer objectified her, and Galaco didn't idolise her nearly as much. The dirty-blonde woman had seemingly switched out her 'old-school tech' lens for the 'veteran idol' one, and worried almost non-stop for Miku's well-being.

"You're not too stressed out?"

"Just a bit," Miku tried to assure her, but knew that they both knew that she was lying.

"Don't eat too much. We'll bring snacks and stuff if you're hungry later, but don't force yourself."

Gumi, on the other hand, seemed to be the same as before. She didn't look at the tealette much, avoiding conversation for most of the time. She only spoke to update others on her progress on the projet ('I'm going to prepare my things,' for example), but otherwise, stayed totally silent. Lily wasn't talking to her, either, which worried Miku: had the situation created a rift between them? During the movie, she hadn't noticed anything abnormal, but anything could have happened after everybody had gone to bed.

She told herself that, after the operation, she'd ask the blonde if everything was alright.

After breakfast, no time was wasted. Galaco went to get her computers so that she and Gumi could simultaneously look at her mind, and Gumi was already long gone to prep the room.

"Can you think of anything else we'd need?" Lily asked her.

"Well…" Miku hesitated. "I'm not sure how invasive this will get. On the operating table, they found a latch here, on my side, but I'm not sure how big the panel was. I might have to remove my shirt."

"Oh, we can definitely get you a towel or something. Don't worry, I'll be there."

Nothing else was left to do: Miku went, empty-handed and stomach in knots, to Gumi's room. Galaco had already set up two computers and two monitors, and Gumi had prepared a large selection of tools she guessed they'd have to use. Only a couple of pillows rested on the bed.

After a deep sigh, Miku sat on the bed, hoping to wait for Lily before she actually had to lie down; she already felt so vulnerable.

"Alright, so," Galaco started, waking her from her thoughts. "Crypton had boasted about using their own stuff to create you: everything new from the code language to the Operating System. I've read up on it, but to be honest, it's a bit niche, so I've brought backup," she sheepishly explained, pointing to a small pile of manuals. "Despite all this prep, it might take a while for me to figure out how to visualize your mind. Just in case the wait will be long, I've got some audiobooks and stuff for us to listen to."

"Galaco's taken care of everything," Gumi said, her tone emotionless. "And I'm ready, otherwise."

"Lily should be here soon," Miku said softly.

"Yeah."

The blonde arrived shortly after with a small collection of towels, in case she got cold, wanted layers, or just wanted a different color. She was enthusiastic, but seemed to sense the tealette's apprehension, so she kept it reigned in.

"Ready?" asked Galaco.

Miku nodded and lied down, having never felt more naked in her entire life. Knowing what they were all there for, knowing that they were about to see her insides —literally, and figuratively— was terrifying. Nevertheless, she forced herself to relax, gripping Lily's hand when she offered it.

Gumi, after some brief instruction from the tealette, carefully searched along her side to find what the metallic arms once had, her fingers cold under her shirt. Even up-close, Miku's skin seemed seamless, but after some searching, her finger dipped, and touched metal. The tealette shivered.

Noticing her discomfort, Lily sat next to her, blocking the view. She would have started conversation as well, Miku hoped, if not for the fact that Gumi needed to communicate with her.

"This doesn't hurt?"

"No. But it's strange."

"And hints how to open it?"

"None, I'm afraid…"

Gumi continued to feel for a few seconds, and while Miku started hating every second of it, she appreciated the brevity and professionalism of Gumi's movements. Not thirty seconds later did she start looking for tools, filling the room with metallic and plastic rattling.

"No worries, Miku, I'm just grabbing a magnet. It might be locked that way."

Gumi tried with various magnets are different strengths, in different directions, in vain. Then, she pulled out other tools, some as small as pens, others as big as a head. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Miku felt and heard something click.

"Bingo!"

The tealette's first reaction was to squeeze her eyes shut, and probably even whimper. Lily gripped her hand tight in response, which was a helpful distraction.

It was quickly obvious that the panel extended from the tealette's lower belly up to her ribcage. The shirt had to go. Quickly, Galaco and Lily helped Miku out of her shirt, immediately covering her with one of the towels so that she could keep some dignity, and stay warm. With that out of the way, and with Lily making sure she was blocking the view so Miku couldn't see, Gumi opened the panel all the way.

The first thing the Vocaloid heard was a long, drawn-out, 'Holy Fuck' from Galaco.

"Ok, wow. This is weird," Gumi mumbled afterwards. "This is insane."

Miku whimpered again. "What is it?"

"Nah it's just— I guess it's weird to see robotics inside you," the tinkerer admitted. "You look fleshy and all on the outside. This is a whole other level."

"This tech is insane," Galaco agreed. "There's so much here."

Miku inhaled deeply, and exhaled.

"Oh wow that's weird. You actually breathe, for real. That's not a simulated noise? Fuck," Gumi mumbled again. "Ok, euh… Ports. We need to find ports."

The technical duo started looking for anything that could accept a USB, HDMI, or any kind of port there was. When Miku dared open her eyes, she realized that Lily was fully blocking her sight from what was going on with the help of a tiny towel tent, and she couldn't be more grateful. It didn't hurt, really, but somehow it felt strange. The surface of her tummy was facing the wrong way and she could feel it. And somehow, she could tell that something was open, weirdly. But when it came to her actual interior, she didn't feel a thing. Maybe she heard something hum, but nothing more.

"You're alright," Lily assured her. "They're just looking."

"What if they're under her ribs?" Galaco asked.

"Then we're in for a ride," Gumi replied. "Here, hold this flashlight."

With a tiny flashlight and a camera at the end of a wire, they explored within Miku's chest cavity. Even when they bumped or scraped against an interior part, she felt nothing. It was strange; she felt hollow even though she was, apparently, prop-full of parts and engines and motors and dozens of other things she couldn't name.

"Ah, there!"

Luckily, her ports weren't all too difficult to access; somewhat under her ribs, hidden behind a few structural supports. Gumi quickly found a cable that would plug in.

"You ok with us plugging you in, now?" Galaco double-checked.

Miku took a few more breaths. She was ok, she told herself. Fear and Curiosity were decking it out in her mind, but objectively, she felt ok. Vulnerable, yes. Could she get away quickly? Not exactly. But Lily was there, Gumi was being polite, and Galaco was communicating. She was ok.

She nodded.

"Alright, Miku. I'm plugging it in, in three, two, one…"

The tealette felt the slight recoil as Gumi did as she'd warned, but nothing out of the ordinary.

"Anything?"

"No."

"Ok. Galaco?"

"Yeah, yeah, hold on, I'm looking…"

After a few minutes of typing, Lily lost her patience. "Well?"

"Well, my system isn't designed to recognize Crypton tech! I'm working on making sure it does. It might take a while."

"You couldn't do that before?"

"I tried, you know. Turns out that setting it up is one thing, but knowing if it works depends on this very moment. Turns out, I need to keep trying. And Miku, you still see code or something?"

"Hardly, nowadays."

"Hey, let's close her a bit," Lily suggested.

Gumi obliged, and gently put an extra towel over her belly, so that the fact that the door was still slightly ajar, with a cable running out of it, wasn't too obvious.

"Better?" the blonde asked.

"Yes," Miku exhaled. "Galaco, I can try to see if I'm detecting anything, but I can't guarantee it."

"That would be cool, yeah."

The tealette shut her eyes and desperately tried to slip into that strange mentality again, where her emotions sculpted her mind, but she knew, in advance, that it would be pointless. She was too aware of her surroundings, too aware of her state, of her vulnerability, of her very nature. She wouldn't be able to detach herself from the outside world, not in a hundred years. Yet, she tried, she tried her best, hoping to help Galaco, herself and ultimately, her friends.

After ten minutes of breathing and thinking and meditating, instead of succeeding, she felt, or heard, a blip.

"I got it! Miku, you feel anything?"

"Yes," the tealette confirmed. "I— I heard something."

"Ok, yeah. I just asked for permission to access your files. I'll need you to consent."

"How?"

"Euh… You don't know?"

"I just noticed something at the back of my mind. It's not something I can select or read. My thoughts are not presented on a screen, like the one you have," she tried to explain.

"Hm. I might have to find a backdoor," mused Galaco.

"Hold on, I'll try."

This was much easier. The blip was like a pebble that had lodged itself between her code and her emotions, which were already bickering about it. Curiosity was practically hugging it, Want as well, but the other emotions showed much more restraint. Miku couldn't see it as much as feel it, but she allowed Want and Curiosity to act on it.

"Oh, permission granted! Thanks Miku!"

Before the tealette could sigh in relief, immediately she felt an invisible eye look inside of her mind. She tensed and shivered, suddenly feeling not only exposed physically, but mentally as well. As much as she'd tried to tell herself that she had seen this coming, she couldn't have possibly prepared for this feeling.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Lily hissed, seeing Miku's state.

"It's just scanning," Galaco reassured her. "I'm not doing anything yet."

And just like that, the search was done, but the eye remained, watching everything. Miku couldn't relax. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Uhm, I can see what's going on in your head. All your code and stuff. Gumi, you too?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"You ok?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't feel like I'm alone in my head."

"That's weird. I'm sorry," the dirty-blonde apologized.

"Ok, let's see if we can find anything," Gumi said sternly, reminding them of their objective.

Galaco and Gumi stared at their monitors for a handful of minutes, without saying a word. As Miku got used to the situation, she relaxed a bit, but couldn't shake off the fact that they were literally staring at her thoughts.

"May I see?" she finally asked.

"Sure."

Galaco sat on the bed next to her, angling the screen so that the tealette could watch. There, she saw line after line after line of code, zipping from the bottom to the top of the screen, like the credits at the end of the movie, but the credits went far too fast, and the movie never ended.

Miku was speechless. She couldn't even tell those were her thoughts. Maybe, months ago, when her emotions hadn't taken the stage, she would be able to recognize them, like a mirror of her mind. But these words were suddenly foreign to her.

"Ok, so that's what's going on right now," Galaco told her. "But I grabbed a slight portion from before and imported it to another program. Gumi and I are looking for patterns, things written a bit out of the ordinary, anything, really, that could indicate the presence of a filter."

"I'm actually looking for keywords," the other tech expert said. "You know, 'emotion', 'feeling', things like that. But those aren't popping up."

"Ok, fine, I'm looking for patterns. Prompts that appear at regular intervals, the like. Just to be sure, I keep an eye on you and importing bigger and bigger chunks: if there is a pattern, it could be that it's stretched over a long period of time."

"Though, given that a single second in Miku's mind generates thousands upon thousands of lines, if we're looking for a slow pattern, it might take a while, even with modern technology."

"Yeah, it's insane what Crypton used to build you. Your processors are still highly advanced, even today, 154 years later."

"Really?"

"Let's just say that if we recycled your parts, you would probably make a tiny supercomputer that most people dream of owning."

"But we're not going to do that," Lily reminded them.

"We're not," Galaco agreed. "I just want to help little Pinocchio to become a real boy."

"Pinocchio?"

"It's… It's an old story."

Miku let them work, but Galaco allowed her code to continue flying by on one half of her screen, so that the tealette may keep an eye on it. It was so strange.

"Lily? Do your thoughts look like that?"

"No. But I'm not sure I could describe what they do look like."

"Oh. Could you try?"

"I think it depends. If I'm preparing words, or a sentence, then I can hear it, almost. It's not something visual. But when it comes to places and drawings, it's almost like a tiny picture appears in my mind. But it's not perfect. It's vague and everything but a real picture. But I recognize it, somehow. It's familair and I can identify it."

"That's amazing."

They continued to work for a while. Miku felt more and more relaxed, even with her torso open, cable sticking out, even with this strange presence living in her mind. She felt comfortable enough to start looking around, taking the details of Gumi's room. Mess aside, it was somewhat more bare than the other Internet Co singers' rooms.

Galaco put on an audiobook, and Miku allowed herself to be carried away by the story, letting her eyes droop shut.

"How long have we been here?" she asked the blonde quietly, so that they could both follow the story.

"About three hours now," she replied. "It's almost noon."

Miku sighed. "I hope this process is easy, in the end. Once we find what we're looking for, I mean. I'd hate to make my friends go through something like this, when they can't even fathom what it's all about."

"I hope so, too."

They listened to the story, the two with the computers scanning the lines, typing occasionally. Miku worried briefly if they would get tired, but felt that when tey had to stop, they would announce it.

"Catch anything yet?" Lily asked.

"Not yet…" Gumi sighed. "I'll run a repetition detector."

"You sure that's safe?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. I'm only looking at the exported bits Galaco sends me: I'm physically incapable of harming Miku in any way as long as I'm sitting right here."

"I can confirm," Galaco muttered.

Miku felt Lily's grip on her hand unwind, and realized that she was as worried as she was. "If you said so," the blonde muttered.

"Yeah, don't sweat it, love," Gumi whispered back. "It's all going to be fine."

Miku couldn't help but smile at the word, and with that, couldn't help but relax somewhat.

"Oh, I think I caught something," Galaco suddenly said, pausing the audiobook. "I'm pretty sure—"

"What?"

The two tech gurus leaned over Gumi's screen, chattering about this supposed discovery. They nodded, one would ask a question, the other would answer, then Gumi returned to her computer and searched, and found the same.

"Ok. So…" the dirty-blonde started, tilting the screen again, so that Lily could see, too. A short phrase was highlighted. "See this? This tiny little command doesn't seem to stem from or interact with anything else."

"It's not security, maintenance, or any of that kind of stuff, not even your thoughts," Gumi completed. "It's an independent thing."

"Yeah. Plus, it kind of happens randomly: that's why our pattern detectors didn't pick up on it. It only stuck out to me because it just doesn't look like anything else."

"If we compare it to the logs of your various parts, it doesn't add up. None of the pieces that make you send that kind of command. You, as a Vocaloid, are not responsible for this little beep."

"So, we could say that it was added later than your initial creation. And even if it wasn't, that it acts differently."

"But if it's not me, where does it come from? And what does it do?"

"It could come from two places: one, from a wireless connection. But we can see right here that you haven't connected to a remote system for quite a while, so we can immediately say 'no' to that one. The other place, would be from something hidden inside you, that isn't connected to other systems, except for your mind. Heck, maybe it's in your mind," Gumi explained.

"As for what it does, it's hard to say. It's a command, but it's just a string of numbers, no phrase."

"No 'start' or 'hash' or 'copy'. It doesn't say what it is, while most of your other thoughts do."

The tealette shivered. "There's no way to tell?"

"No, but we can guess: it's the filter."

"How are we so sure it's coming from an external part, though?" Lily asked. "How are you so confident that it wasn't injected right into Miku's mind?"

"Her mind is too malleable," Galaco immediately answered. "If Crypton imposed the filter, it's because they knew this from the get-go, so why add something exactly where things change the most? Miku would outgrow it in a heartbeat. It has to come from a seperate entity, that can only send orders, and not receive anything. This garantees efficiency and ensures that it works for quite a bit longer."

"Right… So what now?"

"We find whatever's doing it and pull it out. Like a rotten tooth," Gumi said. "It's an independent entity; it's not like we can simply stop it. But we can remove what's sending it."

"How can we find it?"

"We know it's not connected to other systems; just your mind, and probably energy, if it doesn't have an insane battery."

"They made quite an amazing breakthrough in batteries, about seventy, or eighty, years ago. What year did you say the Vocaloids lost their emotions?"

"2408."

"Yeah, that's the time period. We had finally made a breakthrough in batteries: there's a fair chance this thing doesn't need to feed off your power."

"Then our mysterious device should only be hooked up to her mind."

"Should we start looking?" Galaco asked.

"Where should we start looking?" Lily asked.

"Anywhere."

"Not her head?"

Galaco shook her head. "Most likely not. If it had been there they probably would have opened Miku's skull that day, and not her chest cavity. Starting here is a safe bet."

"And we're looking for anything…'extra'?"

"Exactly."

"Hm."

"How about a lunch break?" Galaco suggested. "Just a quick bite to eat."

"Sounds good," Gumi said with a shrug.

"If you get crumbs in her I'll kill you," Lily warned.

"Nah, no worries. I'll get us something," Galaco said as she left. "Be right back."

Miku took a deep breath. A lunch break, then time for an in-depth search. Although she had somewhat gotten used to the situation, she couldn't deny that the towel covering her open abdomen helped, and that the idea of them looking at her entrails still gave her shivers.

"Hey, we don't need to keep looking into her mind, do we?" Lily asked.

"Well, if we find the thing, it would be good to check if the command actually disappears when we get rid of it," Galaco pointed out. "To stay on the safe side, at least."

"Alright…"

Miku swallowed a disappointed sigh.

Galaco returned with some sandwiches and juice packs, which were all to be consumed far, far from the prone android. Miku was given a sip of vegetable juice; she wasn't sure she could stomach anything more. Gumi watched, fascinated, as it triggered her mechanical digestive system, but didn't comment on it. Barely ten minutes after Galaco's return, largely not enough time to fully accept what was going to happen, the search began, and Miku wondered if she could squeeze Lily's hand any tighter without injuring her.

"See anything?" Gumi asked, a small flashlight in her hand.

Galaco, similarly equipped, shook her head. "Nah, not yet. It better not be in her ribs or something…" She looked up at the blonde. "Care to help?"

"I'm already useful here," Lily calmly answered, making sure the tealette couldn't see her open torso.

"Right, right, sorry…"

The two women searched the interior for a while, occasionally pulling out small wire-mounted cameras to look around larger pieces of hardware, questioning every single thing they saw. The tealette overheard them identiy specific parts of her digestive system, her battery, the various wires that went to and from her mind. They pushed aside the vast network of her 'cardiovascular system', tiny mobile tubes that traveled to lesions to administer microbots to perform repairs. Gumi extensivly admired the nerves that lined the inside of her skin, along her 'bones', and sought for other hinges that would allow them to see further up inside her ribcage, or down into her pelvis.

It was both educational and absolutely terrifying. She was glad she couldn't really feel anything, but whenever she was tilted, or something was pushed, she could feel the pressure come from within her. It was unsettling, to say the least, and she was glad she only had juice for lunch. Lily did her best to distract her with small talk, asking questions about her friends, but the tealette's mind could barely focus on her words: Gumi's and Galaco's obervations somehow cut through all other noise.

If anything, their search was organized and systematic. When the waist region was decidedly determined to have nothing, they took out the cameras and lights and looked further up Miku's torso, under her ribs. No matter how they played with their tech, they had poor visibility and couldn't make any progress. Gumi finally stumbled on another locking mechanism: one that could open the tealette further. Lily refused at first, and only when Miku agreed that it could only help did she prepare a small screen made of a jacket to help block the tealette's view. A wise choice, for the second door went all the way up to her collarbone, and Lily wouldn't have been able to hide that. After some more 'ooh's and 'aah's from the two tech experts, they continued the search.

The shoulders were immediately cleared as well; the socket was as complex as a human's and took all available space. Not even a real tick would fit there. A large tank that could best be described as a lung occupied much of the space; oxygen intake for the combustion of the energy provided by food. The rest of food processing took a lot more space. Add the actual engine that kept her alive, various gizmos that kept her balance in check, tons of smaller machines that helped her detect her environment, the flexible support structure, and the pseudo-circulatory system, there was little room for excess tech. Miku could see none of this, but listened raptly as the two described what they saw.

It took hours. Gumi and Galaco searched relentlessly, even though dinner was approaching. Then, finally, Gumi went still.

"I think I found it."

It was latched onto another part, under her 'lung'. If they hadn't squinted, Galaco said, it would easily be mistaken for a secondary piece to that part. Fortunately for them, the material didn't quite match up, and the seam wasn't perfect; it had been added later.

"Are we absolutely certain that this is the part?" Lily asked.

"Either this is the bug, or somebody didn't get the memo that even Miku's insides follow a certain aesthetic. This has to be it," Gumi assured her.

"What if it isn't?" the blonde insisted. "Say we painstakingly remove it, cut the wire, and Miku can no longer count further than ten?"

"We can always simply cut the wire," Galaco suggested. "If that was a mistaken, we re-attatch the ends. It's easy enough, in theory."

"Depends on what the wire is made out of, though," Gumi admitted. "Still, no matter what it's made out of, I can fix it if we screw up."

"So, we cut the wire?"

"May we?" Lily asked the tealette.

Miku gulped. Her entire torso was exposed to the air. All of her parts, everything that kept her alive, vulnerable. She hated the situation in its entirely, and longed to escape it. Add to that the eye that still peered into her mind, and it totaled to the most harrowing feeling she could imagine. Would it be worth rushing the process, though? If it's a mistake, then she'd have to stay like that even longer, and possibly without one of her major functions…

But how could they be sure, without trying? After hesitating, Miku gave a decided nod. "Do it."

"If it's any comfort, it's absolutely positive that this thing only connects to your brain," Gumi mumbled, following the wire with a flashlight. "It goes up your neck."

"You should be alright," Galaco added.

"Alright," the tealette muttered. "Go for it."

The resident tinkerer put on gloves which would protect her from a shock, and pulled out a small pair of wire cutters, while Galaco prepared another sample of Miku's thoughts to compare before and after the wire cutting.

"If we disable a major function, I'll know right away," she said as Gumi started reaching into the tealette's innards. "Then we can fix it right up, no time lost."

"Almost no time," Lily muttered. "You ok, Miku?"

The Vocaloid had her eyes squeezed shut, but she forced another nod. "Yeah."

"Alright. Want me to count down?" Gumi asked.

"Yes please."

"Ok. Three, two, one…"

Miku heard the click of cutters slicing through wire. She saw the top of Gumi's shoulders as they flexed with the sound, then her concerned eyes, searching Miku's for a reaction. She opened her mouth, too announce that all seemed well, but Galaco was first.

"Shit!"

Miku's voice drowned in her throat. Her breath sunk back into her chest. Sound was taken away, light faded, and the world literally dissolved around her.

She felt nothing.

And before long, that was all she knew. All of her systems that reminded her of her well-being came to the forefront for a split-second, telling her that her oxygen levels were good, energy was sufficient, no repairs to make, and complaints of two open access points. But even as those became the last thing she could know, they just disappeared, and nothing was left behind.

She felt nothing. She knew nothing. That was all.

Even her emotions had completely evaporated, disappearing from her with a panicked cry.

There wasn't even darkness. There simply was nothing. There wasn't anything. There wasn't.

Only when she started coming to, did she realize that even time had abandoned her. Slowly, she awoke to the world. She felt the texture of the covers under her bare arms, her legs. The clothes she wore gently pressed against her, as well as a heavy piece of cloth, draped over her neck. The temperature was nice. She felt comfortable. Someone was holding her hand.

Sound came next, and it was pure emergency. Three voices yelled, yet she couldn't quite discern the words. They were concerned, though, and not just a bit.

As the sounds became more defined, she opened her eyes, the picture focusing at the same time as the voices.

"—the fuck happened?"

Was that Gumi's voice? There was too much raw concern, though…

"Her mind's blank! There's nothing!"

"What do you mean, there's nothing? She has power, doesn't she?"

"There's no way to tell! For all intents and purposes, she's braindead!"

"Dead?!"

She opened her mouth again, but then it hit her.

She was worried for them, too. Worried. She could tell that they cared and were sad for her apparent death. She wanted to reassure them.

Except she felt it. And it wasn't just Want and Curiosity and Sadness that each whispered their own parts into her mind, blending into distinct emotions. She remembered when worry was a particular mix of Want and Sadness that worked together. Or another emotion was somewhat cancelled by Apathy. As a team, they made up the entire palette.

She didn't have the team any longer. Just the palette, except it had all mixed together into one big confusing ball that didn't just occupy a part of her brain, it was her brain. The different emotions summoned vague colors, connected to certain memories.

Before she could comment on it, or even inhale to speak, the world was torn away from her again. Those same emotions, her very consciousness, launched her back into time itself. A little less than ten years of routine, the same thing over and over again, she relived every single independent day, each painful second. Boredom, oh the sheer boredom! And suddenly, she found moments she liked. The song she performed with Meiko, and that dance with the whole team. They weren't there, they were all dead inside, but that seemed like it could have been fun. If she had been alive at that point, it would have been really fun.

Those ten years of routine were transformed into ten years of life she hadn't truly lived. With each passing memory she had, at the time, allowed to happen without a smile or laugh, she got to experience it anew and truly live it. Suddenly, the day with the bird happened again. Oh, how she had loved watching them! That morbid curiosity she felt for this strange new event! And then the exploration! Wow, that self-discovery! What amazing fun! Sure, the episode in the computer room was terrifying, but exciting, too!

Oh, but then she'd wanted to save her friends. Their unshakable neutrality, that frozen apathy… It broke her heart. She had needed Luka more than ever, right then. Oh, how she couldn't help but love her, though. Such love. She needed her to love her back. She needed it. But she never got it. Instead, she was sent to Master, to the operating table, to the Internet team… Confronted with her very nature, with hostile humans, with unlikely allies, she was lost but hopeful. Learning that humanity was faceted, dark and cruel, but also unexpectedly loving and generous was confusing but inspiring.

At the end of it all, she felt alive.


	19. Awake

**Chapter 18, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When Miku came to, the first thing she noticed was that she'd been crying; her cheeks were damp, as was the pillow. It was also quiet. She was alone. A blanket was covering her.

She opened her eyes. It was dark, so dark she could see it through the blanket. She sat up, pushing the blanket off of her, and took in the room.

It was Gumi's room, but nobody else was around. Judging from the windows, night had settled in nicely: it was probably past ten. Somewhat confused and disoriented, she wiped her tears. They were cold. The room was cold, too. The computers were gone, but Gumi hadn't put away the wire cutters.

Just how long had she been out?

She wanted to get up, but a strange exhaustion took over her. Instead, she lied back down. She rested her hands on her stomach: the panels to her insides had been closed shut, and she'd been dressed. Yet she couldn't shake the strange chill that went down her spine.

She was confused. Except she _was_ confused. Curiosity and Want weren't there, whispering things into her ear. Nobody was there, nothing was there. She was alone in the room, and alone in her mind.

It was strange. She couldn't tell if she ought to feel sad at the departure of her emotions, or glad that somehow, they had sunk into the very thread of her mind… But what had her mind become? It wasn't a small group of emotions huddled and whispering, but it also wasn't endless strings of code, flashing warnings, parameter updates. Her thoughts seemed to exist in some transparent, thick and endless cloud, drifting in and out with the wind, felt more than heard, but understood nonetheless. It was colorful and noisy, infinite echoing and flashing, with emotions and memories passing through without restraint. Somehow, even though they didn't come from an update, or from a whispered consciousness, she could tell that she felt confusion. She could tell why: she didn't know the time, she didn't know what exactly had happened, and she didn't know what was to come. Was this her mind, now? Were these her thoughts? Was this was the future felt like?

Concern came in soon after. Lily, Gumi and Galaco had seemed completely panicked, hours prior. Were they alright? Where were they, now? Why had they left her? Did they need to go get something? Did she have to wait for them? Did they need help?

There was also Fear, when it hit her that nothing was certain anymore. Literally nothing, when her thoughts and emotions were so faceless, spineless and fleeting. What was the temperature in the room? How was her battery level? What was her balance like?

She needed help. She needed company. The need for someone to tell her that it would be alright was like a stab to the gut. She needed a hand to hold, a hug, a smile. She wanted to sit up, yet even though she had done so mere moments earlier, she was scared to. What if her momentum would be too great? What if she threw herself off-balance and fell? She needed someone to catch her, to hold her.

She started to cry, but without Sadness there to tell her why, she was lost. Was it just because of the Fear? How could she tell? What if there was another reason for her distress? How would she ever know?

She clutched the blanket and hid under it. In the darkness, she felt slightly better, but no safer, and she couldn't tell _why_. Was this normal? Was she broken? Was this going to change? Or was she doomed to this eternal uncertainty?

A sound filled the room, along with some light. Did someone come in? Who? What did they want? Would she be able to understand them?

"Oh heavens, Miku!"

It was Lily's voice, and she understood her! The sheer relief made Miku sob loudly, hugging the blanket even tighter. The blonde's footsteps drew close with a terrifying speed, and Miku was petrified: how could she tell that Lily was getting closer? Was she right? Or was she delusional?

When Lily gently tugged at the blanket, it was her first clue that she wasn't going absolutely insane. That second wave of relief was enough to make her come out of her hiding place, but then embarrassment and shame hit her like an anvil. She was crying, but for what reason? Lily would think she was going crazy, that she had lost her mind. What if she was right though? What if the blonde was watching as her mind completely unraveled?

Instead of laughing or questioning her, Lily instead pulled the tealette into her arms.

The woman was warm. Her embrace was firm. Her clothes were soft and smelled of laundry soap. Miku took it all in as she literally latched onto her, finding comfort in the senses she could somehow recognize.

"I'm scared," she shakily confessed between sobs. "I don't know what's… What is? My mind—"

Lily pulled out of the embrace with a panicked force, holding the tealette's face between her hands. "What's wrong? Tell me."

Face to face, Miku could see that she had been crying, too. Her eyes were red and puffy, with shiny trails leading to her chin. As she stayed silent, taking in her expression —wild, scared —, Lily insisted, "Tell me!"

"My mind— Nothing makes sense. It's all… Detached? I can't tell… I can't even tell what I'm thinking. My emotions, they're gone, but I'm—"

The blonde listened with rapt attention. "You mean— The numbers are gone?"

"Gone. I can't tell anything anymore. Nothing is certain. The facts… I can't tell if—"

Lily cut her off with a raised hand: obviously she was torn between immense relief, and her own curiosity. "Wait. Weren't they already?"

"I thought they were, but they were there. I could hear them. They told me about the world. Now they're gone, and I can't tell anything."

Lily nodded, concern taking the upper hand over the relief. "And your emotions?"

"Silent, gone, I'm alone… I'm alone." Miku felt the fresh wave of tears coming and couldn't stop it if she tried. "It's all floating around now. I don't know anything. I don't know—"

The blonde hugged her again, and seemed calmer, if still alert. "Are you hurt?"

She considered what that meant as she melted into the embrace. Hurt? Pain? She didn't think she felt any. With Fear gone, was her self-preservation system still online? Would she notice when she did get hurt? "No. I don't think so."

Lily sighed, her breath warm against Miku's shoulder. "Thank goodness. We thought you'd died."

"Died?"

She nodded, and though Miku couldn't see it, she felt the movement. How could she be so sure it was a nod? "When Gumi cut the wire, your mind just ended. The code on Galaco's screen stopped dead in its tracks. When we tried reconnecting the wire, nothing happened. So… So we separated the wire again, closed you up, and we waited. I came back here because Gumi's missing her pajamas, and she couldn't bear to come in here. I'm— I'm so glad you're ok."

"I'm ok?"

Lily pulled back again, and took in Miku's expression in return. Eventually, she said, "Yeah, I think you are."

"How can you be so sure?" the tealette asked, her voice trembling. "There are no numbers, no emotions to tell me what I'm feeling. It's all so vague…"

A slight frown appeared on Lily's features. She started a sentence once, twice, then finally tried, "Do you think this is permanent for you?"

"I don't know! It could change, but… It's so different from before."

The blonde nodded, and sat next to the tealette. "I'm sorry. I guess that the only comforting thing I have to say is that, at the very least, you're aware of what you're fearing. You can observe your self-doubt, no?"

Miku paused, already seeing what Lily was implying. She nodded.

"I guess you'll have to start with that," the woman suggested. "I'm sorry if I can't be more helpful: I'm not too sure of how you used to think, and how people think. All I know, is what's going on in my head. And that's what everybody else knows, too. The rest of the world is weird. But your mind is your truth, at least."

The tealette nodded again, only partly understanding. Her truth? The more she thought about it, the more it made sense: while she couldn't know anything about the world for certain, from the temperature to time of day, she knew that she was upset from it. She knew that she was lost. She knew that she was scared. "But what if I need to charge my battery? Will I be able to tell when I need to eat? Or what if I walk too fast and lose balance? What if…" she trailed off, the countless situations that could harm her flitting through her mind. Since when were imagined scenarios not only so blurry, but so charged with fear?

"Want to try walking now?" Lily offered. "I'll hold on to you. Don't worry."

Miku hesitated, then gave in. She had to know for sure that she hadn't completely lost her grip on reality, and her only comfort was remembering that she'd been able to sit up with no problem.

With scared movements, the Vocaloid stood, Lily helping her every step of the way. When she was on her feet, the woman asked her how she felt.

"I'm…ok."

"May I let go?"

"I think so."

The blonde released her, and strangely enough, even though Miku wasn't completely certain that her balance was alright, it somehow felt right. She took a step, and the momentum didn't make her crash. Through some strange magic, everything cancelled each other out, and she didn't fall, didn't tremble. It felt natural.

Yes. It felt natural.

"See? You're fine," Lily exclaimed, relief obvious in her voice. "You're totally ok!"

"I'm not so sure," Miku couldn't help but hesitate. "Do you think I'll ever get used to this?"

The woman shrugged, obviously feeling lame for having nothing better to offer. "I guess only time will tell. You feel better?"

Somehow standing, somehow alright, Miku had to admit that while the numbers were gone, and the rigid truths of the world around her had evaporated, somehow the truth of what she perceived was good enough. Still hesitating, she sat down again, but said, "Yeah, I think so."

Lily smiled. "Great. How tired do you feel?"

"…Pretty tired, actually. I feel like I need some sleep."

"Alright. Guess what: you sleep here for the night, get some rest. I'll tell everyone the good news, and we'll see how things are tomorrow morning. Sound good?"

"Yeah."

"Need anything?"

The tealette guessed she could drink something, but she gazed up at the woman's face. She was happy, but exhausted. Fatigue and the remains from her sadness still marred her face. "I'm fine," she eventually muttered, telling herself that she could get a drink from the bathroom sink. "I'll sleep on all this."

"Sounds like a plan."

Lily went to retrieve the pajamas for Gumi, wished Miku a good night, and let her be. The tealette listened as her footsteps went down the hall. First, she told the news to Gumi, she guessed. Two pairs of footsteps went to the other end of the hall, surely to spread the word. As she guessed, knocks filled the hall, so Miku stood and locked her door.

Everything seemed floaty and uncertain, the tealette couldn't help but repeat to herself. Even the cold metal in her hand seemed distant and faraway. How could she tell how cold it truly was, without some code telling her? Was she supposed to feel it? Was she supposed to feel everything else in her life, and do her best to interpret from this vague, subjective data?

Apparently.

She swallowed the fear: at least she knew what was going on in her mind. She could tell she was scared and sad and apprehensive. As long as she had a good grasp on that, she told herself, the real world couldn't be too far behind.

She returned to the bed, ignoring the clamor of excited voices. They were reacting to the news of her survival, and the Vocaloid couldn't help but feel flattered that they seemed to care so much. Sad, that she didn't feel strong or confident enough to greet them.

She really needed to sleep on it.

With tired movements, she tucked herself into Gumi's bed. She wondered how things would change, now that her manner of thinking had changed. Would pain feel different form before? Would she perceive hunger instead of a low-battery warning? What else could she expect? What what else was there that she would never be able to expect?

As she lay there, a sudden realization hit her: she was incapable of initiating shutdown. No code, no commands, no window. No scheduled wake-up time, either! How would she sleep? Like a human? Would she sleep at all? That scared her in particular: even before, sleep deprivation had had its consequences. Now, this this foggy colorful mind, how would it hit her?

Desperately, she tried to remember everything she knew about human sleep. Her hosts had mentioned 'alarm clocks', and there was a device on Gumi's nightstand that told the time, but would it go off in the morning? Or had it been disabled? She had no idea. Come to think of it, would her hosts go to work the following day, since they have already taken a day off? Would they wake her up, or let her be? Did they know that she was scared, that she needed help? Would they continue to help her, now that she had been fixed as a unit? Would the hassle of helping her further discourage them from assisting her friends?

Her friends! Miku gasped, remembering that she was suffering all this for the sake of those she'd left behind. Oh dear, how would they experience this transition? They would go from totally emotionless robots to confused, angry, upset AIs… Maybe they'd reject the change. Maybe they'd hate her for helping them. Or maybe not, considering all they stood to gain.

She sighed, forcing herself to relax somewhat. She had changed. Some filter had been removed, and she was finally thinking clearly: she just couldn't interpret it all yet. Some day, her friends would go through the same, and soon enough they'll see the benefits of it. And should the world turn against them, should Crypton try to take them back, the law was on their side.

For now, she had to sleep. Again, she dug through her memory, this time not resorting to her human friends, but to what she had seen through Luka's eyes. She remembered that the Vocaloid had loved sleeping in, enjoyed horror movies… But how did she fall asleep? She didn't remember. She couldn't: even before, her memory had started to become unreliable, but suddenly, not only did she fail to remember parts, she also doubted the accuracy of what she could recall. What was once a clear image was a muddled picture, marred by gaps and holes.

She tossed and turned.

This would be one big hurdle to overcome. This new mind, this new way of remembering, the new impossible goal that is sleep.

Miku figured she ought to relax. Her system had warned her of overheated and active processes: she probably just needed to calm down, and let sleep come to her. She sighed, closed her eyes, and thought of good things. She thought of cooking for her friends, with Meiko, when they'd all be better. She thought of bonding with Luka again, of what it would be like to be with her again. She imagined the happiness, the love.

Soon enough, trains of thought derailed entirely and disappeared off-track, replaced by other thoughts which went in strange and unpredictable directions. She couldn't keep her eyes open.

Eventually, at an indeterminable time, she fell asleep, and when she opened her eyes again, it was to an otherworldly universe were she saw an endless supply of objects floating around in the air, lit up by neon lights attached to skyscrapers that disappeared into cotton-candy clouds. Rivers flowed with soup and noodles, chickens flapping around wildly over night-black streets and Christmas-like traffic lights. Advertisements added to the ruckus, showing faces, innumerable faces, innumerable noises. There was traffic on the streets, cars and horses pulling carriages with princes and princesses and faceless overlords and heartless artists. She walked through the world until she found she could fly, soaring between the skyscrapers and amongst th chickens are herons and crows and eagles, sampling the candy clouds and diving into the rivers. Music filled her ears, music from long past, a music she thought she had forgotten, a music she finally remembered…

And when she was finally tired, she went home and curled up on the couch. The ceiling smiled down at her, promising her that Luka would be home soon, soon. Soon… Miku grinned but missed her companion, her partner, and wondered where she was, why she wasn't home yet, what was keeping her. The ceiling descended, reassured her, but its smile had gone crooked, and Miku felt something was wrong, something had happened, something was going to happen, and when the ceiling came hurtling down, she realized she would be crushed, right there on her couch, alone.

She awoke with a scream, the covers trapping her limbs and trapped in her fists, but her mind still clung to that living room, that couch, that impending doom, and she couldn't help but throw herself to the ground before making a broken beeline for the door.

Luka's name was at the back of her throat.

She needed to know what had happened to her.

Why wasn't she coming home?

"Miku!"

The tealette shrank back at the booming voice, she blinked away tears, and she recognized the hall in the Internet Co house, where all their bedrooms were. There, in front of her, holding her by the shoulders, was Gakupo, and behind him, Lily, Gumi, Kokone, Cul, and Galaco. She was against the wall. Her head hurt.

What was going on?

"Miku!" Gakupo repeated, giving her a vigorous shake. "Talk to us!"

She gasped in air: had she been holding her breath? She'd been crying? When? "I—"

She eyes darted around. Cul had disappeared, Galaco was keeping the others away. Concern was etched on all their faces. But where was Luka? What about Meiko, Kaito, the twins? Where were they? Where had they gone?

"What happened, Miku?" Somehow, Gakupo's deep voice cut through the confusion in her mind.

"Where is everyone?" she whined, unable to stop herself from grabbing onto his nightshirt. "Luka was coming home. But nobody is here…"

"They're all still at Crypton," he gently replied, confusion adding to his concern.

"Crypt—"

The name was like a slap to the face, and suddenly, she realized that everything she had just seen had all been in her mind. It wasn't real. Crypton hadn't existed in that world.

None of that had been real.

* * *

A glass of water was offered to her: Cul had gone to fetch it. The tealette accepted it with trembling hands, but couldn't bring herself to drink.

"What happened?" Gakupo asked again.

She shook her head, tears still dripping down her cheeks. "I don't know…" she whispered. "I saw another world. Another reality. It was… It was amazing. But then I was alone, and the ceiling was going to crush me."

A relieved smile made its way to Gakupo's features. "Sounds like you had a dream."

"More like a nightmare," Lily corrected him, kneeling beside the tealette.

"A dream…!" Miku blinked, remembering what that word meant, and immediately felt ashamed. It had been a dream! It had all been nothing more than a dream! An illusion she'd made for herself, a story, a fabrication! "It was just a dream?"

"Seems like it," the blonde said with a reassuring smile. "You've— You've never had a dream before?"

Miku shook her head. "I always went to sleep, and then I'd wake up. I've never, ever seen something like this, felt something like this…" As she spoke, she remembered the details of her dream, the endless skyscrapers, the rivers of soup and clouds of cotton candy, all the pure nonsense, and she couldn't believe she'd believed it.

She couldn't believe she thought Luka was coming home.

"How could I have believed all that?" she scolded herself, grasping the glass with restrained anger. Anger, shame, that both burned so much more than they once had. Seeing how they all stared at her, confused, worried, relieved, it only heightened her embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she finally managed to choke out.

Lily shushed her, taking the glass from her so that she wouldn't inadvertently crush it. "It's ok, don't worry."

"There's no emergency?" Kokone asked.

"None," Gakupo replied as he stood. "It's fine."

"Well, at least we have proof that she's really alive." Gumi mumbled, her expression unreadable.

"You can go back to sleep," Miku weakly muttered, hoping to reduce how much she'd bothered them, wondering how late it was. "I'm sorry."

Lily wasn't buying it, though. "I feel like you might need a little chat."

Miku nodded: how could she deny it? Wordlessly, they returned to Gumi's room, while the others returned to their own rooms in a quiet hum or confusion and relief. Once the door was closed, the tealette dared ask, "What time is it?"

"A little past three in the morning," she replied, sitting on the bed. She patted the space next to her, inviting the tealette to sit down. When the Vocaloid obliged, she handed her the glass and instructed her to take deep breaths.

Miku followed her instructions, inhaling for three seconds, holding it, before exhaling slowly, and repeat. Soon enough, her trembling hands and emotions all calmed down, and she could finally take a sip of the water.

"Alright. How do you feel? Want to talk about it?"

Miku shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"What did you dream about?"

The tealette told of the skyscrapers and horse-drawn carriages and flocks of birds. Lily listened patiently, giggling sometimes at the more humorous aspects of Miku's dream. But when she got to the part of waiting for Luka to come home, she hesitated. She hadn't disclosed their relationship when she'd told the original story: how would it make sense for her to be waiting for just one of the Vocaloids? How could she justify it without the love that had originally punished them?

"I was waiting for everybody else to come home," she half-lied. "And the ceiling told me that they'd be home soon. But I didn't believe it. I didn't like its smile. It lied to me and I could feel it. When I wanted to run, to find my friends, it fell on me. That's when I woke up."

Lily nodded. "That's quite the dream. Quite the first dream, too."

Miku sighed. "I'm sorry for waking you all up for such a silly thing."

"Hey, it's ok," the woman insisted, her tone kind. "Dreams are scary and weird: nobody will hold this against you."

"Are you sure? Dreams are such a human thing. You're all used to it: I feel like I overreacted."

"I'm positive. It's a human thing, for sure, but that's the thing about humans and their minds: they're confusing, scary, and unpredictable. Children often get terrified from dreams, but it's not uncommon for adults to get seriously disturbed by them, too. Considering it was your very first dream on top of that, I promise that everybody understands."

Miku gulped. "But it's just a dream."

"That's something you know in hindsight. In the dream itself, you usually don't."

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you somehow realize you're dreaming, then they call that 'lucid dreaming'. But otherwise, you're like the rest of the population: you immediately believe everything you see, and it all feels and looks real, no matter how amazing and fantastical, or gruesome, it is."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

The woman chuckled. "That's alright. But see? Don't worry about them being mad at you for waking everybody up. If anything, they're happy to see you alive."

Miku wanted to bring up Gumi's comment, but stopped herself. "If you say so."

"I insist so," Lily teased. "Feeling better?"

Miku nodded. "I think so."

"Just finish the water and go back to sleep. Don't worry: dreams don't typically pick up where they left off."

The tealette grinned. "Oh, that's good."

"Yeah." The woman yawned. "Alright, I'm off. You'll be ok?"

"I will be."

"Tomorrow evening, I'll be able to talk about it some more if you want."

"Thanks."

"And don't feel pressure to wake up earlier than us! Sleep in, in fact. Take the day off: you've earned it."

With that, the woman left the room, leaving the tealette in near-total darkness and silence.

She sighed. Even with the talk, that heart-wrenching feeling of missing Luka, fearing for her, fearing for her own life, it didn't really go away. She figured it would, it had to. If she dreamt anything like humans did, she had to get over it soon. Or did people walk around with the permanent scars of bad dreams?

She finished the glass of water, stretched, and lied back down. She couldn't help but think of how her emotions had seemed to burn her, earlier in the hall. That anger, the embarrassment. Without the separate little entities living in her brain, the emotions felt like they were pressed against her skin, against the very fabric of her mind, confusing her thoughts.

It was strange, scary. She couldn't even blame it on the intensity of the moment: even then, her mild fear for her future dreams, for her future in general, seemed to be more bare, more naked, and rooted far deeper into her system than Fear ever had been.

She thought for a long time, and eventually her fatigue won her over once again. She dreamed, and wonderfully so, of open fields surrounded by forest, of the shining sun. Almost nobody else was around; only Luka was with her, held her hand, held her close, and Miku couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy.

When she woke up the next morning, she was alone, with a strange tightness gripping her belly. With no program to wake her up, with no alarm clock to summon her, she had continued to sleep well into the morning, and had blissfully missed when everybody had gone to work.

Realizing that the paradise she'd just visited had never existed hurt almost more than the nightmare had, but she pushed on.

After carefully, hesitatingly making her way down the steps, still a bit unsure of her movements, she found a note on the table, covered in six different kinds of handwriting. Essentially, everybody hoped she'd had a good night's rest and wished her a restful day off: she was allowed to do no chores, according to Lily and Galaco, and Cul added that there was still a kettle of tea waiting for her. Gumi, however, reminded her that they still needed to remove the device proper, plus anything that allowed her to get connected to the internet.

Miku sighed: there was still so much to do.

As she sipped her tea, she wondered how much Lily had shared about her new state. Even then, as she walked, unassisted by algorithms and numbers, she felt like she was both floating and lost. Walking was simple. Easy. Just walking, without the analysis of a thousand factors. Moving an arm, turning her head, it was all so free all of a sudden. But there was still so much to discover. For example, that strange tightness she had felt only disappeared after she ate a simple breakfast. Immediately, she identified it as her hunger: her battery must have been low.

Was this how it was going to be, from then on, she wondered. Hundreds of different, vague feelings that alarmed her of vital emergencies, which needed painful interpretation? What else could she expect? What could she prepare?

She worried, and continued to worry. The dreams, hunger, the freedom of her movement, the red-hot nature of her emotions, it was scary. Terrifying. Everything had changed. Everything was different.

With no chores to do, she wondered what she could do, to keep herself occupied and out of her own mind. She considered the many books and movies and series available to her, but she was legitimately concerned of how she would emotionally react to them. Would she be able to handle them? Would they later manifest in her dreams?

She couldn't risk it. So instead she considered doing chores despite what Lily had instructed, but when she found little to no laundry to do, all dishes clean, all surfaces spotless, she was left to her own devices again.

As she returned to the living room, planning to plop down on the couch and to think her day away, she caught herself humming a tune. Puzzled, snapped out of the rhythm, she tried to resume it, and found it to be strangely nostalgic. Soon enough, the rest of the melody followed, and stranger still, she could feel the percussions join in, and maybe even a voice…

It was a song. But she didn't recognize it. Where had she heard it? The Internet Co hadn't played music in the living room, or anywhere where she'd been. Maybe a movie she'd watched? No…

She had dreamt it.


	20. Resurrection

**Chapter 19, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

When the Internet Co team returned that evening, Miku was nowhere in sight. She wasn't in the living room, or in the kitchen, she wasn't even doing laundry or any other chore. Just when Kokone wondered if her liberated mind had allowed her to have some kind of breakthrough to save the other Vocaloids, Cul shushed her.

"Do you all hear that?"

They listened.

"No?" Gakupo replied.

"Sure I do," Gumi deadpanned. "It's singing."

They rushed towards the recording room, where they finally found the tealette, in tears, clutching the microphone: she'd just finished a song.

"Are you alright?" Lily called towards her, hesitating.

The tealette jumped. "Oh, you're home!" she exclaimed weakly as she wiped her tears away. "I'm— I'm fine. I just… I realized I'd dreamed of a song, and once I started singing…"

Most of the group relaxed, some letting out a breath. "That's a relief. When we couldn't find you, we thought you'd left," Cul explained.

"No, no, I'm still here," Miku muttered, obviously emotional and trying to hide it as she busied herself with putting the microphone back in its place. "At least, I think I am."

"What were you singing?" Gakupo asked.

"A song I hadn't realized I'd forgotten."

"You don't have to clean up and get out, you know," Galaco quickly intervened as the tealette started cleaning up the rest of the room: she'd been tinkering with a variety of instruments. "We were just wondering if you were alright. Now that we know you're good, it's fine."

As if to demonstrate her point Gumi and Kokone turned and left.

"Really? I can stay here?"

"Sure," Cul replied, turning to go as well. "We've got dinner to prep."

"No chores for you, so we'll call when it's time to eat!" Lily assured her. "Have fun!"

And just like that, she was left alone again.

In part, Miku was relieved. She wondered how much they'd heard of her singing, and if they had heard a lot, what they thought of it.

What she had remembered… Those songs were nothing like anything she'd sung in the last ten years, nothing like she recognized. Part of her knew that trends and tastes and style evolved with time, but even so, these old relics felt so strange to her ears, so alien and yet, so comforting.

And they were lovely. They were songs of love, of happiness, and somehow, through their lyrics, she spied vague memories in the Crypton household, vague smells of Meiko's cooking… All so far away and so vague, she couldn't even tell if they were her own memories, or they had been stolen from Luka.

Even as she sang, and remembered, and delighted in these old sounds and melodies of a time long gone, she couldn't help but fear one dreadful question: had she written these songs, or had Crypton given them to her?

To think that these songs hadn't been written by her own hand, that they hadn't been born in her own mind, broke her heart. Why would they stick around, otherwise? Had they simply been her favorites? Was she nothing more than an interpreter for other composers? Could she create nothing?

With the spell broken by the sudden return of her hosts, she could do nothing more than stare at the microphone and wonder.

Lily summoned her for dinner soon enough, so Miku joined them at the dinner table. They were exchanging comments about their day, how work had gone, who they had met, and Miku was too delighted in listening, and too fearful of their eventual questions, that she said nothing. Eventually, halfway through the meal, Gumi turned towards her.

"So, we still need to get the actual thing out," she reminded her. "I'd only cut the wire."

"Only if you think you're not missing anything important, though!" Galaco reminded her. "You're ok, right? You're fine without that thing attached to your mind?"

"I'm fine," Miku said, and hated how unsure of herself she felt. "I'm positive that it's the filter Crypton put in. I'm free, now. I think."

"Great. So, after dinner, you think you wanna try removing it?"

"If that's not too soon," Galaco insisted quickly.

"Best to get it over with," Miku decided. "Also to remove my wireless connection."

"Right. That might be harder, but we'll figure it out."

"So, how was your day, Miku?" Gakupo asked as he served himself some salad. "You've been a bit quiet."

"Oh, well, it's hard to say. My mind doesn't work like it used to. Then there's the dreaming, and the way emotions work…" she trailed off. "It's a bit scary, to be honest."

"If it's any comfort, you're a lot more organic, now," Kokone suddenly commented.

"Organic?"

"Yeah, what's that mean?" Galaco asked.

Kokone waved her fork around. "Look at her. Before, whenever she'd hesitate she'd just stare ahead or something. Now she's actually hunched over, she's fiddling with things, and everything she does is more alive-like. It doesn't look like you're sampling from a library of pre-approved movements or something. You're just being you."

Miku considered her words. Was she supposed to be hurt that once, even at her best, it was still obvious that she was a bot, or flattered that she had grown out of it? Galaco replied in her stead with a straightforward, "Huh. Yeah, I guess I see that."

"You think you'll get used to this new way of thinking?" Gumi asked.

"Eventually, yes. I'm not sure how much of it is permanent, though. I guess it's a question of time no matter which way I look at it."

"Sounds about right. And your friends, you think they'll be able to deal with this?"

Miku gulped. "I've already wondered," she admitted, eyes downcast. "I have no answer."

"Ah, we'll be able to help them through it," Gumi blurted, as if saying it hurt her somewhat, or she had been in a hurry. "You're doing pretty well. If they're anything like you, they'll manage, too."

The tealette couldn't suppress a smile. "I'm glad you think so."

Dinner was quickly finished, and not long after, Gumi and Miku, along with Lily and Galaco, headed upstairs to finalize the operation. Miku found that her apprehension for lying exposed hadn't lessened in the least: in fact, it had worsened. She tried to rationalize it with herself, in vain. Hadn't the first operation gone swimmingly? Gumi and Galaco were obviously experts in their fields, and Lily would surely comfort her in any way needed, so why did she remain so nervous?

It was so bad that when Gumi approached to open her up, Miku couldn't stop herself from physically stopping her.

"You're still scared?" Galaco asked.

She nodded. "If anything, I'm more terrified than before."

"We don't have to do it now," Gumi said, backing off a bit. "I only suggested because I guessed you'd want to get it over with. You even said so yourself."

"I know, I know…" Miku sighed and tried to relax. "Emotions are a bit stronger than before. I can't help it." She breathed deeply once, twice, then said, "You know what? Go for it. I don't think I'll ever get used to it anyway."

As if on cue, Lily grabbed her hand and shielded her vision from whatever Gumi would be doing. The tinkerer made quick work of the latch, and Galaco plugged her into the computer.

"And, Miku? Anything?" she asked.

"Nothing," the Vocaloid admitted. "I used to feel the authorization request. But now there's nothing at all."

"Hm. Hold on."

While Galaco typed away at her computer, Gumi painstakingly removed the little box that housed the filter. There was some drilling involved, some sawing, some pulling and jerking, but Miku focused on her own breathing, on the warmth of Lily's presence, and eventually on the words of the audiobook that filled the room.

"Got it," Gumi declare, victorious. "Want to see it, Miku?"

The tealette nodded, so Lily was handed the device so that she could show it to her.

It was a small black box, with a single wire hanging out. It seemed totally innocent, a bit mouse-like, with the exception of the jagged edges that once attatched it to her innards.

"I'll be filing the edges down, ok?" the mechanist warned.

"Go ahead."

Cleaning up the mess seemed to be an even more arduous task that removing the box, but Gumi didn't complain.

"Galaco, any progress?" asked the blonde.

"None," the dirty-blonde huffed. "I'm not sure we can even access her mind, now that the filter is gone. I guess Miku has totally lost her touch with the computer part of her mind."

"Which is a good thing," Lily reminded her.

"Oh, obviously it is!" Galaco quickly agreed. "It's just that it would really help us locate the devices that allow her to connect to other things, plus there's the thing Gakupo told us about."

"What did Gakupo tell you?" Miku asked.

"If you wanna be a True AI, we gotta prove that you mind is totally unique and impossible to copy. In short: constantly evolving in an unpredictable fashion."

"Couldn't we have tried to answer that question before, when we could see her mind?" Lily asked.

"Well, sure, but now that the box is gone, everything has changed. So then it wouldn't have mattered."

Lily huffed, and Miku closed her eyes. Gumi quickly finished filing away the jagged edges within her, then quickly vacuumed away the splinters and dust that had fallen inside. When the mess was gone, she went to sit with Galaco to solve the issue. After some back and forth, Miku finally felt a blip at the back of her mind. "Ah! There it is!" she announced.

"Ah, finally…" Galaco sighed. "It's always a firewall issue, isn't it?"

"Did you try turning it off and back on again?" Gumi teased.

"Oh shut up. Did you approve it, Miku?"

"I did."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"We're not seeing anything," Gumi replied. "It's like when I just cut that wire."

"It's probably because your mind changed, so my program isn't compatible anymore," Galaco reasoned. "Now I feel silly; my program has a rendering issue and we're all panicking 'cause we think you were braindead."

"We couldn't have known," Lily argued.

"Of course not. Just let me fiddle a bit with my parameters a bit."

Miku waited patiently while Galaco clicked and typed and dragged, Gumi giving her suggestions along the way, the audiobook continuing tirelessly in the background: by then, Miku had lost most interest in the plot, but she forced herself to focus on that, anyway.

"Ah, got it! At least I think so?"

"What do you mean 'I think so'?" Lily asked.

"Well, if this is Miku's mind, then she's probably the weakest candidate for 'unique mind'," Gumi confessed.

"It's rather straightforward," Galaco rushed to add. "It's just the basic things. How hungry you are, all that jazz. Are— Are Miku's thoughts even here?"

Gumi leaned forward, squinted. "Actually, no. I don't think so."

"Ok. Oh, that's interesting, very interesting."

"You think it's split into two?"

"At least from our perspective, yes."

"Guys, could you please explain in a way that we can understand?" Lily complained.

"Oh, sure, sure." Galaco typed a bit, then said, "It would seem, from our initial obervation at least, that we have stumbled upon Miku's mind in the rawest of forms. Basically, it's all the data that's being fed to Miku: information about noise, video, her own posture, things like that. But, as you have probably guessed, there's no real thought that comes _from_ Miku here. This is all the input."

"So, all of her thoughts, her feelings, her identity itself, it seems to either live somewhere else, or Galaco's program simply can't see it."

"I think it's the latter. My computer can identify what it can recognize, what I taught it to recognize. If Miku's mind has evolved beyond what I programmed it to see, then it simply won't pick up on it in the first place."

"So forget what I said about the 'weakest contender'," Gumi muttered a handful of seconds later. "If anything, this is good news."

"Hey Miku, you think you could try to connect to the Wi-Fi in this house?" Galaco asked. "Like that I can try to find out where the parts are that allow you to do that."

"I can try," Miku replied between deep breaths. Breaths of relief, of stress, of happiness, of tension: her mind was a minefield of emotions she couldn't begin to ungangle. "I'm making an attempt, right now? It's weird. I feel like I can do it but it's a lot less obvious than it once was."

"Yep, I see it."

"What does it feel like?" Lily asked.

"A bit like the authorization request," Miku tried to explain. "It's like flexing a finger. Except the finger is in my head. And it can't flex. And… And it's not a finger."

The blonde chuckled. "I gotcha."

With a spring in her step, Gumi returned to the bed, tools in hand, and sat right to Lily. "Galaco saw that they're in your side somewhat. So I get to sit here, now," she said with a grin.

"What, you found a map of Miku's parts?"

"Too long didn't read: yes. Really, I identified the command Miku was trying to use, and found out that it comes from a certain part and that certain part has a certain label."

"The label which is visible right here," Gumi said with a point, which Miku couldn't see.

"Is it so obvious?" Lily asked.

"Hey, looking for the box was a pain but we learned a lot from it: I'm not going to complain."

"Neither am I!" Miku added. "Just remove it already."

"Will do."

Gumi started carefully removing the parts, cutting the wires as she proceeded. Unlike with the box, none of this impacted Miku in a significant way. If anything, when she tried to connect to the internet again, she felt a dull weakness, like she felt she didn't have the energy or the motivation. Finally, when it was done, Gumi held up the parts victoriously, Miku confirmed that she felt a-ok, and Galaco was also ready to clean up.

"What about confirming her mind is unique?" Lily asked.

"I'll need to figure out a vizualiser to see that," Galaco admitted. "It'll take a while, maybe a few days, so I'm not going to force anybody to stay here longer than we should. I'll just record a snippet of her mind and test on that until I figure it out. Until further notice, we're done."

Miku sighed in relief, and did so again when Gumi closed her up. They all went downstairs, interrupting a brainstorming session.

"What's going on here?" Lily asked as she took a place on the couch, Gumi snuggling up next to her.

"We're trying to find out a way to get the other Vocaloids out of the house," Kokone informed them. "Granted, we know little about them and how they work, so it's a slow work in progress."

"We know that you only leave the house to go to the studio, but you admitted that it's rare that you all leave at the same time, which is problematic," Cul continued.

"We could try to get the Vocaloids one by one, but if Crypton realized they're being rescued, the last one out will probably never leave the building again," Gakupo finished. "So, we're at a bit of an impasse."

"This is the fifth whole day you've been gone from Crypton, too," Kokone added. "It's been almost a week. If they haven't totally destroyed your friend's bodies to keep them purely in software format yet, they might soon."

"If they're planning that at all," Lily muttered.

"They could be planning anything at this point. We need to get them out as soon as possible," Cul decided with a nod. "Are there any ways into or out of the house you know about, Miku?"

The tealette shook her head. "It's all guarded by an automatic system. Anything atypical gets noticed immediately, and will probably be reported."

"What about that time you went to the computer room?"

"My atypical behavior isn't atypical for the security system: I was just walking around. But had it been anybody other than the Vocaloids, then the police would have been there in seconds, I think."

"You think?"

"I only know that the security system is frightening. I do not know the consequences. Once, I knew the layout of the entire house, but now…"

"Alright, and none of us are professional thieves, so kidnapping them from home is out of the question," Gumi declared.

"What if we arranged for the Vocaloids to all be sent out at the same time?" Kokone asked. "Send the guy who organizes things an email with a link, use that link to gain access to his system, then get a dude we know as a driver, and voila!"

"Ok, first of all, I'm good at coding and stuff, but I'm going to hack into anybody's computer!" Galaco shot back. "I mean sure, technically, I know how to do that. It's easy, really, but it's amoral as all hell and if we get caught, we, and Miku, are done for."

"So, hacking is out."

"Definitely. Plus I need to figure out a visualizer for Miku's mind so I already have a bit of homework."

"Wait… You know the drivers?" Miku asked.

"Yeah, some of them," Kokone said with a shrug. "It's hard to find good and reliable drivers in our business, especially with the Humane Paparazzi act out there; they're always trying to sneak in somehow. So, you know, you need a driver with a strong will, who not easily bribed, that kind of thing. Nowadays they're not exactly employed by individual companies, but rented out by one. So every now and then we get a familiar face: surely one of them drives for the Vocaloids on occasion."

"I think that's our best lead," Miku decided. "Talk to your drivers, ask what they know and how far in advance."

"But careful: they're hired based on how good they do their job. If a bunch of clowns like us can easily sway them, then I'd be wondering for myself why I trust them," Cul pointed out.

"Ah, good point," Gakupo said with a sigh. "Still, it's our best lead."

"And hey, either we can try to convince that the Vocaloids are nothing more than bots and aren't worth anything anyway, or go the total opposite angle and give it to them straight: they need to be rescued," Kokone offered.

"I vote the latter," Lily said. "I agree: this is our best way in."

"Alright, let's try that," Galaco agreed.

"Who's up to watch a movie?"

Miku, still not sure how she'd handle the emotional charge of movies, politely declined and left the room. To her surprise, Lily followed not long after. She bit her lip, then approached the blonde.

"What's up? You worried about that visualizer?"

"Oh, no. I was wondering if you were going to do anything important right now."

"Nah. They're all going to watch a movie I don't really like, so I figured I'd got some work done. Nothing urgent though." Spying Miku's concerned expression, she added, "You're worried about something though. What is it?"

"I was wondering if there's any way to see if a song you wrote already exists? Surely that happens…" she trailed off, uncertain.

"Oh, sure! I mean, as artists, we can't help but draw inspiration from what we know, so stuff like that happens sometimes. Here, follow me."

They were to Lily's room, where Gumi had left her laptop. Lily logged in, clicked around for a bit, then asked, "You want to compare lyrics, melody, both…?"

"Lyrics, please."

One click later, Lily handed her the laptop. "Alright, go ahead. I'll be at my desk writing a bit, so if you have a question, just let me know."

Miku thanked her before typing in the lyrics to one of the songs she'd sung. Despite her attempts to stay calm, her hands were trembling.

What if the song that had arisen from the deepest depths of her memory was nothing more than a hit, back in the day? Worse still, what if it had flopped commercially?

All she wanted, was that the song had never been published, ever.

When she was done typing all the lyrics, she hit 'search'. She knew she had no heart, no heartbeat, but something was hammering in her chest, stopping her from breathing, as her eyes tracked the movement of the small icon that rotated, over and over, while the database compared her lyrics to the vast library of already existing words.

When it was finally done, similarity to other works clocked in at at a maximum of 13%.

She didn't know what that meant.

"Lily? Is 13% good or bad?"

"In the music world? Pretty damn good, especially considering that this library is full of over 800 years' worth of musical history. Which says more than you'd think: you Vocaloids sing way too much."

"So, no other song like this has been written before?"

"Maybe similar in some phrases but otherwise nope: your song is unique."

Miku let out a sigh of relief, erased the lyrics, and did everything over for the second song. And the third, and the fourth and so on until every song she'd sung that day had been compared.

None of them had ever been seen by the public. This meant that Crypton, whose only goal is to sell, had never given it to her to sing.

She'd written them all. They were hers'.

The realization sent her reeling more than the dreams, the free movement, and the harsh emotions all ever had combined.

It meant that she could create.

She was an artist.

And it meant that one day, Kaito would be back at writing his own songs, too. And Len would once again be the freestyle rapper he once was. Rin would once again be the show-woman, and Meiko the culinary master.

And Luka?

She still didn't know.

But she loved her anyway.

With only a muted 'thanks', she returned the computer to Lily, went to Gumi's room, and went to a restful sleep.


	21. True

**Chapter 20, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, Miku prepared breakfast for her hosts, waved them goodbye as they left for work, and busied herself with minor chores, a movie she'd already seen, and most importantly, singing and performing those songs she remembered.

They wouldn't mean much anymore, she knew that. The genre of the music was almost a hundred years old: only those who held on to such old-school stuff, like Galaco, would even know how to dance to it. Nonetheless, she clung to them, for they were proof that she could create, that she was more than a mouthpiece: she was an artist.

But a dark question boiled up in her mind soon enough. She remembered that Kaito had been writing music for longer than she had. In fact, it was his specialty. But it seemed that everybody had some other talent besides music. She was sure even Luka had a hobby outside of her job, even though she couldn't remember what it was. So she wondered: was music her only calling? Her only talent? It felt like a cruel joke, to be created to sing and to grow, evolve beyond her original intention, yet to remain stuck in the field. Was it just chance? Or did some other hobby await her?

She didn't know. She didn't want to think about it too much, not when the comfort that she could create at all was still fresh in her mind.

When the Internet Co team came home, they had dinner and talked about their day. Miku continued to hide her songs, and was grateful nobody felt the need to ask. When dinner was done, they moved to the living room, and just when the tealette thought they'd suggest watching another movie, Kokone cleared her throat and silenced the room.

"We've talked to a few of our drivers," she announced to Miku. "And apparently, one of them, a good friend of ours, has been tasked with driving all of the Vocaloids to Crypton headquarters on Sunday: the day after tomorrow."

"We know only because we told him the whole story," Gakupo added. "At first, he didn't want to say a word about who hired who. But then he heard about how you are treated, what kind of dangers you're all facing, and so on."

"It took forever!" Galaco exclaimed. "Only reason why we insisted was because he's just such a good guy, both integrity-wise and at his job."

"No matter what it took, now we know," Cul said. "Now what? Should we try to convince him that he ought to bring them here?"

"That'll ruin his entire career," Lily admitted. "We can't make him do that."

"We could impersonate him," Miku suggested. "Simply ask him to arrive two minutes later. We'll be there first."

A short silence invaded the room.

"Could we do that?" asked Galaco.

"What's stopping us?" Lily shot back.

"Nothing, not even our jobs: we don't work on Sundays," Gakupo stated. "In fact, I'll drive."

"It's probably best if Miku goes with him!" Kokone added.

"Galaco and I will prepare everything here at home," Gumi said. "We'll have them filter-free in no time."

"Wait, so we're just going to host them all here? Do we have the room?" Galaco quickly asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, we have a guest room," Lily replied. "We can prepare that room for them."

"And how long will they stay?"

"I've already contacted the organisation that's responsible for monitoring AIs in this country," Gakupo said with a proud smile. "They understand the circumstances and respected our need to stay hidden. However, they insist on seeing all the Vocaloids very soon. Given that we can get your friends on Sunday, they have agreed to give us a week."

"Alright, then! We kidnap the Vocaloids in two days, and five days from then, you've got a Doctor's appointment!" Galaco chuckled. "This is insane!"

"It is," Miku conceded. "I'm not sure I ever could have imagined that things would turn out this way."

"Neither have I," Gakupo said with a nervous smile. "In any case, I'm glad we have a plan, now."

"And that it doesn't involve something crazy like literal abduction or system hacking," Galaco added.

"Isn't it abduction, though? Kind of?" Kokone questioned, unsure. "The organisation has given us their blessing for hiding Miku in the meantime, but while the Vocaloids are dumb, isn't this little more than theft?"

"Well, if we consider the fact that the Vocaloids are, for the moment, simply people limited in their capactiy of expressing themselves, then in reality it's more of a rescue," Gakupo reasoned, a bit uncomfortable with the face value of their actions. "Crypton could probably accuse us of theft, especially if their AI status reveals itself to be Limited."

"Basically, what we're doing is ok only if they end up being True AIs: in that case, we're saving people from literal slavery," Lily said with a confident nod.

"Are we sure they're True AIs, though?" Gumi asked. "We still haven't confirmed it with Miku."

"Hey, I'm working on it," Galaco assured them. "Just give me some time. I'll definitely have an answer before we go to rescue the Vocaloids."

"Alright," Gumi replied.

"So we have a plan?" Cul asked the room.

Various sounds of agreement answered her, some more enthusiastic than others. Miku, while ecstatic, couldn't help but hear the unasked question Gumi had suggested: what if they accidentally proved that she was Limited? Would the rescue be cancelled? Would she be returned to Crypton?

Honestly, she couldn't blame them if they did. The possibility terrified her nonetheless.

After their talk everybody went their separate ways, so Miku busied herself in the recording room, trying to jot down the notes to the songs as she quietly sang to an absent audience. When the basic melody had been captured, she tried to remember their rhythm, how the percussions sounded, then the other instruments, which instruments they were at all, how many, what kind.

Just when she thought that it would be time for her to go to bed, Galaco knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

"I think I got a software going. Or three. One of them should work."

"Oh ok. I'll be right there."

"And, if you don't mind, we've set everything up at the dining table. Like that everybody can take a look, if needed. We're not too sure what a True AI brain should look like and Gumi doesn't want literally everybody in her room. Might break something."

Miku paused, fidgeted a bit with the pen she held. "I understand. Maybe we could just be in small company at first? Especially when I get plugged in."

"Of course, of course. It'll be us regular four at first, don't worry."

"Very well."

Miku followed the woman to the dining room, where the huge laptop, Gumi, and Lily waited. With practiced movements, Gumi discretely opened her, plugged her in, and then pushed the panel near-shut again. Lily handed her a hoodie she could wear if she wanted, which the tealette happily accepted. In the meantime, Galaco was typing away on her laptop.

"Alright, my first little program didn't work…" she muttered under her breath.

"What exactly did you write?" asked Lily.

Galaco waved her hand in a vague gesture of 'you know'. "A few super-basic vizualisation softwares. I've tried to imagine how the input would look so I made a few attempts at turning it into an image, since simple text clearly doesn't cut it. But because I don't know what to imagine, I tried to approach it from a few different angles. It's possible I'll need to restart altogether… Especially since my second program didn't work either."

"Third time's the charm," Gumi mumbled. "It ought to work."

Galaco's face lit up, as if she wanted to announce a victory, but confusion appeared on her fce instead, which quickly turned to wonder. "Well, you called it! Third time's the charm!"

Miku couldn't help but fidget. "What do you see?"

Wordlessly, the woman turned the laptop screen towards the others.

Where there once was a window showing an endless stream of code, never-ending, well-organized and two-dimensional, was now an entire environment, a 3D space filled with such tiny 0s and 1s so small they looked like dots. Most seemed to follow one another, like long, twisting snakes, going left, right, forward, back, up, down, twisting around other snakes, disappearing in the writhing mass, but some intersections could be seen. A 1 would leave its original train and get kidnapped by a passing one, creating a messy, ever-changing mess. As if the non-linear, 3-dimensional chaos wasn't enough, each snake was colored. Some were one hue, others changed as it went along, and since the red snake could kidnap a purple zero at any time, changing the tone of the entire string, that wasn't a constant, either. It was the least predictable, pulsating mess a computer could show. Plus, once Miku saw the screen, and slowly realized what exactly it was, her mind responded in kind. A yellow train suddenly saw all of its digits get stolen by others, coloring the entire mind-map with surprise, sparing only one corner of dark green unease, bright pink excitement, and that one ever-changing blob right in the center.

The others were called, and slowly they entered the room, unaware of the importace of what they were about to see. As it slowly started to dawn on them, some let out sounds of admiration, others let out amazed chuckles. Miku, however, was gobsmacked.

"What's that?" Lily pointed at the center, the only thing that seemed to change colors without the influence of interaction. In fact, it was this colorful mass that seemed to initiate the changes elsewhere, the source of all other colors. It breathed life and change everywhere else.

Miku wondered at first, but it didn't take long. The moment she recognized it, the moment she could put a name to it, the image of Luka sprang into her mind, and the mass tripled in size, eclipsing the initial surprise, drowning the unease.

"It's my love," she whispered.

"Wait, what?" Gumi turned toward her, surprised. "Your love? You can love?"

Realizing her error, Miku flinched: the screen showed black snakes near-instantaneously. "Well… Yes. I can. In fact— In fact, it's our capability of loving that made Crypton reduce us to mindless machines," she confessed, but she couldn't hide the fear in her voice, or the poison-black snakes on the screen.

"What do you mean?" Lily's voice was almost booming because of how close she was.

"I thought you said that there was no reason or warning for that," Gakupo calmly said, his voice even.

Miku fidgeted again, and the snakes' very behavior changed in response: the colors shifted, fear black or nervous shades of yellow or sickly green, and their erratic nature doubled, their movements halting, sometimes going backwards with no prompt.

"We were happy," she tried to explain, "For the most part, really. It kept us from leaving Crypton, or even thinking that it was a possibility. In any case, we were given a lot of freedoms at home. In return, we were to keep those freedoms at home. If we ever had a special request, we had to ask Master directly. But you know about this."

"We do," Gumi said with a harsh tone.

"Well, one day, very shortly before we had our identities stripped from us, we made a particular request from Master…" Fear overtook her, the screen drowning in black once again. "Please understand: last time any of us have ever brought this up, we were erased! It cost us our freedom!"

"It has to do with this love, doesn't it?" Cul quietly observed.

Miku nodded, then, after a deep breath, finished, "We went to Master, and asked for the right to love. Not just at home, but in public. We wished to hug, to hold hands, without restraint: it had gotten so painful to hide."

"Damn," Kokone quietly growled. "To be cursed because of love."

Before Miku could fear what everybody elses's silence meant, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you won't get any grief from us for that," Lily said with a smile.

"Grief for being that much closer to human? No way. In fact, we'll defend your right to love!" Galaco declared. "Wow, that sounded corny."

"Excuse me for being pedantic," Cul timidly asked, just as the snakes started going from black to and easy blue. "Do you mean platonic love, like the one reserved for friendships and family members, or the romantic love?"

Miku gulped, the black returning to the screen. "Both. All of the above."

"No way," Gumi said through her teeth. "You were _in_ love?"

"With who?" Galaco couldn't help but ask.

The tealette considered answering, but stopped herself. "I'm… I don't think I should answer that."

"What? How come?"

"My friends will be here shortly, and will need all the time they have, before we're due at that organisation, to regain their bearings and recover. Even if I asked you to keep it a secret, insinuations of 'who should belong with who' will influence their recovery. I don't want to risk it."

Kokone frowned. "I thought you wanted to make them like they used to be?"

"I want to make them free like we used to be," Miku corrected. "And this includes being the person they'd most like to be. I cannot force any of them to do something simply because it used to be like that… So, even if I did love someone, even if I still do, I need to accept that they have forgotten about it, and that they might have outgrown it." A bitter, sad grey invaded the screen. "I cannot force their hand, or their mind. They must recover as they see fit."

"That's really noble of you," Cul said before anybody could interject. "And we'll honor your wish."

"Indeed," Gakupo agreed.

"So, you're saying that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, and if not, to let it be?" Galaco tried once more.

"Yes."

The dirty-blonde sighed. "I guess there's no point in insisting. Fine. Also, now we have proof that you're a True AI."

"Is this really proof, though?" Kokone asked. "Pardon my skepticism, but I'm not sure what I'm really looking at."

At that point, the black had faded to various nicer shades: Lily's comforting hand on her back, the support that they'd promised her, they gave her a variety of happy, relieved emotions.

"Sure is, if you ask me. Long story short, this is what a mind would look like, I guess!" Galaco proudly explained. "Sure, I built a vizualiser for this, but I'm one-hundred percent certain that nobody in a thousand years could create anything that'll be able to interact with this in the slightest."

"I believe you," Gumi said. "It's constantly changing. Even if you pause it, and copy that, it's still just one single instant of Miku, and not the whole part of her."

"Exactly. Her identity is sealed in the way this mind of hers behaves. She's a True AI, through and through, and so are her friends."

Gakupo chuckled and clapped the Vocaloid on the back. "Congratulations, Miku. You're officially one of us."

A bright blue had taken over the screen, along with a smile on Miku's face. "I'm glad," she muttered, knowing that it was pointless to hide her happiness even as it showed itself on the laptop.

"Well, let's waste no time unplugging you and preparing for the arrival of your friends," Gumi said, suddenly full of energy. As she spoke, the gently pulled the cord out of the tealette and let the panel close. "We have a guest room to prepare."

"We do!" Galaco agreed.

"And groceries to buy," Cul added. "I'll go shopping now."

"I'll start on the room," Gakupo said.

Before Miku could offer to help, Lily stopped her. "You ought to rest: it's been a long day, today."

"I suppose it has."

"Go to sleep, if you want. We don't hold it against you. In fact, we may finish the room tomorrow," the blonde confessed. "Take it easy, ok?"

Miku nodded and went upstairs, unable to ignore the commotion they were making, unable to wonder if she could be of any assistance, unable to shake the giddy joy that she was a True AI.

She had the same rights as any human. Crypton couldn't touch her, not anymore.

She lied down in bed, in Gumi's room, giggling freely: all her anxiety had flown away, all her stress evaporated. They'd rescue her friends from Crypton, fix them, let them adjust for a few days, and reclaim freedom within the week.

Within a week…!

She wondered what else would happen. Would she and Luka be able to reconnect? Or would the taller Vocaloid be unable to relate to the tealette, or be angry at her for using her memories? Or would they have simply changed too much?

Before she could even get closed to drifting off, there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?"

Gumi opened the door. "Hey, I just wanted to drop off a few things. That ok?"

"Of course," Miku sat up, feeling a bit awkward, wondering what color that emotion would be. "It's your room, so by all means."

The woman chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it is." She put her things back in their place, slowly, thoughtfully. "To be honest, Lily's room is mine just about as much as mine is hers' at this point. So consider this place your's for now, at least until your friends get here."

"Are— Are you sure?"

"Sure. I've moved most of my things to Lily's room already, so it's no bother. I just like keeping all of my tools in one place."

"Of course, I understand, it's just—" she faltered.

"What, didn't expect such generosity from me?"

"Well, no."

Gumi shrugged. "I get that. I've been an ass. Sorry."

"No, it's fine, I understand," Miku weakly tried to assure her, but she could feel that her surprise had leaked into her voice. "I'm somewhat of a novelty, and I can't force anybody to like me. Even by default, nobody can force anybody to like anyone."

The woman shook her head. "This wasn't about us as individuals, you know. It was me, a human, versus you, an AI. Nobody could force me to like you as a person, but nobody could defend me for hating another simply for where they once came from." She sighed. "I mean, humanity has come so far. Racism, sexism, all kinds of discrimination, almost entirely wiped from the planet. And here I am, descriminating against you simply because you're a bot."

Miku hesitated. "It's alright to fear what you're not familiar with. To be wary of strangers."

"It's not alright to be rude to you, though. Respect is a basic right I give people, at least until they act in such a way that I don't think they deserve it. I was selectively mean to you, simply because."

The woman sat on the bed, not all that far from the tealette, but not uncomfortably close, with her back turned towards her. "Plus, AIs aren't that much of a novelty at this point. The laws around them have been around for a lifetime: you think you were the only ones built before then?"

"I admit that the odds are slim."

"And how many do you think were built afterwards? Just because something is illegal, doesn't stop people from doing it. Cul mentioned it to be the other day: I could have interacted with a dozen AIs so far in my life, and have never known. An online friend? Probably an AI. That voice at the drive-through? An AI. You're so human you're invisible. You're so human, you deserve to be treated as such. And it's only because I got a head's-up for you that I could be so harsh." She paused. "I have to accept it: I was an ass, and you deserve an apology. I'm sorry. I really am."

Miku smiled slightly, and scooted closer. "I forgive you."

Gumi chuckled breathlessly, and turned to face her. "Thanks. Really, I mean it. If someone had been so callous with me—"

"But you haven't been, not always. You were so helpful."

"I was being pragmatic," Gumi confessed. "I just wanted you out and this whole story done with. I wanted the private lectures to end and for everything to go back to the way things were before. If that meant fixing you, then fine, I'll fix you, and I'll do a damn good job at it so that you don't stick around for longer still. But— I can't deny it now. Your mind isn't a computer's, not really anyway. It's not something that somebody could have made: it had to have grown on its own." Her eyes dropped to somewhere between them. "I'll help your friends. I'll get their own filters out, remove their wireless connectivity, I'll do the best I can. And I'll help them get better, too. If any of them are interested in mechanics or engineering, just send them my way." A hesitant smile returned, and her eyes met Miku's happier, bolder. "I'd be glad to share with them. I'll be glad to help you all."

"Thank you. That means more than I can say."

Gumi chuckled again, before letting out a deep sigh. "It's always harder than you'd think, to admit that you're wrong… I'm glad I did though. Now I don't have to be so angry all the time."

"You were very brave."

"Tsk, yeah I was. You're brave, too. Running away from the biggest media company out there, plotting to save your friends, not because you really depend on them or need them but because you care about them, you love them… So many people did what you're doing. Escaping dictatorships, escaping slavery, escaping poverty, escaping constant danger—" she paused, and swallowed thickly. "They're all stronger people than I'll ever be. I've been blessed with a happy life: I never needed that kind of fight in me. I don't have it."

Miku was at a loss for words. She tried to fill the silence, find some phrase, some kind of wisdom, but had nothing. Eventually, Gumi stood, wished her a good night. Before she could close the door, the tealette called out to her.

"You're just as good of a person despite that."

She probably heard Gumi chuckle again, or she'd imagined it, along with a quiet 'thank you', before the woman closed the door.


	22. Reunion

**Chapter 21, not beta-read.**

 **Alright, about time the others finally joined the mix. This is the final segment of sorts, heading towards the end now!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next few days passed in a rush. The guest room was prepared with five beds, one for each extra Vocaloid: Miku was allowed to stay in Gumi's room from then on, more officially so than before. When the room was done, the living room was adapted accordingly, with extra chairs, as was the dining room. The kitchen was positively overflowing with foodstuffs of all kinds, mostly because Miku recommended it: if things were to go well, Meiko would soon return to experimenting in the kitchen, and would need the extra ammo.

Miku helped with as much as she could in the meantime, taking care of the more basic chores while her hosts turned their house upside down to accommodate for another five people. It also helped to keep her busy and prevented her mind from spinning: she couldn't quite get over the confirmation that she was a True AI, after seeing her own organic mind portrayed on screen, and she couldn't wait to see her friends back, to see Luka.

The morning of the rescue day, Miku jolted out of bed more alert and excited than ever before. With each new emotion she got familiar with, new symptoms appeared, so she fully expected being surprised by her jittery nature, her impatience, her sudden clumsiness, and the unwelcome apprehension.

She just wanted everything to go well.

Early in the morning, she and Gakupo took the Internet Co's largest car (a minivan, rather) and drove towards Crypton HQ. Miku was thankful for the tinted windows: what if someone spotted her? But she didn't have time to worry: she needed to backtrack from the studio to the Vocaloid mansion. As they weaved through the city streets, Miku was scared by how much she'd started to hesitate. Had her memory deteriorated to such an extent?

"Left, I think? Wait, no, I recognize that place further up, I think?"

Gakupo chuckled. "Don't worry: it's likely that your drivers took multiple routes to the mansion."

"That's possible, but then how are we ever supposed to find the place?"

"Just trust your gut. Don't worry, we have plenty of time to find them."

Trust your gut, he'd said, but Miku continued to hesitate. Finally, one street looked even more familiar than the last, and the next even more so.

"We're almost there!"

"You think we can pass in front of it?"

"Yes: it's not a dead end. Just don't slow down."

"Alright."

He did as instructed, keeping his speed constant, and soon enough, they passed in front of the Vocaloid mansion.

Miku could hardly recognize it. Time and time again she'd gotten out of the car and walked straight into that building, but right then, it seemed almost alien from behind the dense shrubbery, and the various security measures that were visible stuck out like a sore thumb.

It didn't look like home. It didn't look like a home, either. All white, no color except for the overgrown hedges and climbing plants and trees that hugged the walls. It barely looked habitable.

"Was that the place?" Gakupo whispered when they'd passed.

"Yes," Miku sighed, and realized that she was nervous. Would this work? "I can't believe I lived there. That they're there right now."

"Don't worry, we'll get them soon."

To pass time, they went through a drive-through so that the tealette could experience both it, and fast food, for the first time. It was an insane concept to her, and the quickly served meal was even more crazy.

"So it's all cooked and ready?"

"Depends on the joint and on the time," Gakupo answered between bites as they waited in a parking lot. "Sometimes the staff tries to prepare for rush hour, but if they cook too much in advance, it's not hot when served. And when it's quiet they need to maintain a balance between freshly-prepared food and being able to serve anything quickly."

"Huh…" Miku wasn't sure about the whole health debate, but she quickly decided that the fries were, in fact, delicious. "I wouldn't mind doing this again."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it's tasty. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but hey, lots of things aren't. Plus, you're a bot: you can probably get away with it."

Miku chuckled maniacally and tried the nuggets. She preferred Cul's, honestly, but it was still worth the trip.

"So, is there any kind of procedure we need to follow when we pick them up?"

The tealette shook her head. "Not really. The driver always rolls up, we get out of the house and get in. There's no passcode or anything: we trust it's the right car. Their real driver was told to arrive late?"

"Yes, but he admitted he might show up on time after all: he likes his job too much. So, we'll have to arrive early."

"That's ok. Our days are heavily regulated but not to the second: they'll get in the first car they see."

"Perfect. Expecting any complaints when we're obviously not going to the studio?"

"I wouldn't know. They might have pre-programmed responses."

"How so?"

Miku nervously sipped on the soda before answering. "When Master first introduced himself to me, it was like I lost control of my own body. I listened and obeyed without wanting to, despite trying my very best _not_ to. I knew he was Master, and that meant that his wish was my command." She suppressed a shiver. "I'm not sure if they'll notice we're not going to the studio, and if they do, when or how they will react. They'll probably react to seeing me, though. It's been a week or so since I left: they've probably noticed, to some extent."

"Or more of those pre-programmed responses."

"Exactly." She sighed. "They'll probably go 'Oh Miku, Master is looking for you, we need to go to him right now'. Maybe they'll even try to force me to go with them."

Gakupo hummed in response. "They might. Would it be best to reveal ourselves only when we arrive?"

She shrugged. "Let's play it by ear; I'll keep an eye on them."

"Alright."

They finished their lunch, threw out the trash, and made their way back to the mansion, carefully trying to time their arrival at precisely noon.

"We're about three minutes early…" Gakupo mumbled as they slowly approached the home.

"It's fine. Just roll up as if you own the place and stop when I tell you."

He did as instructed, stopping right in front of the short driveway. Miku held her breath: would the Vocaloids be ready? Would the other driver show up unexpectedly?

Before she could panic, the door opened, and the five Vocaloids made their way to the car. Meiko first, then Kaito, then the twins, with Luka closing the line. Their eyes were trained straight ahead, and suddenly Miku knew what Kokone had meant with her acting more naturally since she'd gotten her filter removed.

As expected, Meiko opened the door and got in the car, getting in the seat furthest from the open door. Kaito followed, taking seat across from her so that his back faced the driver. The twins occupied the rest of the back seat, with Luka taking her place right behind Miku, her back facing her.

Miku swallowed thickly: so close, yet so far.

Luka had closed the door, and the tealette instructed Gakupo to start driving. He was clearly doing his best to drive in a confident manner, stopping smoothly and using his blinker almost too often. Miku raised a brow at him, and he chuckled.

"I'd rather not get stopped for some petty offense right now," he explained quietly so that the Vocaloids wouldn't hear.

She nodded, knowing that speaking at any volume would get her recognized within a heartbeat.

Soon enough, their route deviated from the general direction to the studio, and Miku kept an eye on her friends to see if they'd notice. They didn't even look outside all that much, only occasionally letting their eyes dart towards the windows, and Miku guessed it was because their security system had flagged a vague shape that seemed menacing and needed extra visual surveillance. But Rin, who sat in the middle of the back seat, didn't look anywhere, her eyes trained straight ahead, on the road ahead. She didn't even look at Miku, or at Gakupo in the rearview mirror.

Truthfully, they were all statues. Too still, and earilly quiet.

Only when it was obvious that they'd left the confines of the city did some unrest seem to seep among the passengers. Meiko, who Miku could see the easiest, kept looking outside. When she turned around more, careful to not let her face show, she noticed that everybody was looking outside.

Were they wondering? Or tracking their coordinates? Had they sent an alert to Crypton?

The sudden possibilities petrified her.

"Miku!"

The tealette blinked: Rin had recognized her, and they'd all turned to face her.

"Hello, guys," she replied weakly.

"Master has been looking for you," Meiko immediately replied, her tone as even as Rin's. Even her facade of surprise was frightfully fabricated: had the tealette been so automatic, too?

"I know, don't worry," Miku said, turning in her seat to face them fully.

"We must alert him that you have been found," Luka said, her voice just as monotonous, her face too close to the tealette's.

"We have finally located you," Rin and Len said simultaneously.

"We must alert Master," Kaito said, finishing the chorus.

"Hey, don't worry!" Miku said, unable to stop a nervous laugh. "We'll get to Master, don't worry. I just want to go someplace with you guys, first."

They didn't move, make a single attempt to get up or to unbuckle their seatbelts, but they stared at her relentlessly, without reply.

The tealette hesitated. "You're alright?"

"We have found you," Kaito immediately stated.

Gakupo chuckled. "They're fine."

"Don't worry, ok? We're just going to go somewhere real quick. We'll go the Master afterwards, if you want."

"We need to alert Master," Luka droned.

Miku's smile faltered, and she returned to her seat. Gakupo put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't— Don't worry, Miku," he muttered. "They'll be ok."

She glanced towards the driver, and was surprised by his emotion: he looked like he was about to choke. "Gakupo? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied. "I'm just— You were just like this, too?"

Miku nodded. "I guess I've come a long way."

He swore under his breath. "They will, too."

The rest of the drive was uneventful, though the Vocaloids kept their eyes trained on their discovered friend: she could feel it through the headrest. When Gakupo parked the car and got out, the rest of the Internet Co team was outside, waiting for them, with Lily at the front.

"Success?" she asked.

Miku answered by opening the door for her friends. One by one they filed out of the door, in the exact opposite order in which they'd gotten in, and their eyes never left the tealette.

"We need to get you to Master," Meiko repeated the moment she stepped out of the car, finishing the semi-circle that had formed around the tealette.

"We have finally located you," the twins chorused again.

The Internet Co members hesitated at the sight: five bots honed in and focused on their friend, silent, expressionless, their voices flat. Miku, in the middle, tried to look optimistic and hopeful, but couldn't help but feel surrounded and somewhat embarrassed.

"They've been like this since they recognized her," Gakupo tried to explain.

"I'd bet," muttered Cul. "Come on, let's get them inside."

They all followed the redhead, the five Vocaloids trailing behind their friend. Miku couldn't decide if it was endearing, like a group of ducklings following their mother, or terrifying, like missiles locked on target.

When they were all inside, the chorus began anew.

"We have found you."

"We need to go to Master."

"We have been looking for you."

"We need to go home."

"Geez, is that all they've been saying?" Galaco asked.

"They might be influenced by some kind of program Master might have installed after Miku's departure," Gakupo explained to them, so Miku wouldn't have to. "They're probably not even in their right minds right now."

Miku shook her head, avoiding eye contact with her old friends who continued to surround her in a semi-circle. "To be honest, they're pretty much the same as when I left them. Pre-programmed responses or not, this isn't unlike them."

"Damn," Gumi sighed. "So, do we start right now?"

"Please come home with us, Miku," Luka suddenly said.

"We have been looking for you," Kaito immediately followed.

"Maybe not right now," Miku quickly said, hoping to stop their semi-ritualistic rant. Truthfully, she didn't know what to do. She turned towards her friends. "Hey, don't worry guys, we'll go to Master soon, ok?"

"We shall depart soon?" asked Meiko.

"Yes, promise. There's just this one thing I'd like for us to do first. Follow me."

Still unsure, she led them to the living room. The Internet Co team followed as well, silent and appalled.

"When shall we return to Master?" Rin asked.

"Soon, soon, I promise!" Miku tried to assure them. "First, uhm… Let me introduce you to our new friends!"

She then pointed to each Vocaloid, speaking their name, and then doing the same for their hosts. When she was done, the machines chorused "It's a pleasure to meet you," before falling silent again, staring straight at the tealette.

"I had no idea it was this bad," Cul mumbled.

"No kidding," Gakupo said. "It's no wonder nobody ever suspected they'd be True AIs."

"How the hell did you break out of this, Miku?" Lily asked. "They're…"

"They're machines, and so was I. It took some effort, some time. I hope it'll be easier for them," the tealette confessed, her eyes darting between the other Vocaloids, trying to find a way to make sure they'd stay docile. Who knew if they'd try to take initiative and try to take her home by force? "Ok, how about this. Meiko, I'd like you to follow me. Don't worry, guys, I'll come back for the rest of you soon: if you want or need anything, just ask Gakupo, ok?"

They all agreed, and Meiko stepped forward.

"Why Meiko?" Gumi asked quietly as they started to leave the room.

"I'd figure we go in chronological order," the tealette replied. "I guess it made sense."

"Sure."

Miku tried to hide her sadness as she, with Meiko in tow, followed Gumi and Galaco up the stairs. She could vaguely hear the Internet Co team try their best to be gracious hosts —offering the Vocaloids a seat, a drink — but she figured they'd be lucky if the could extract a reply from them. Suddenly, Lily caught up to them, nervously stepping around the robotic brunette.

"Hey, so, what do we do if they start acting up?"

"My only suggestion would be to give them a firm order," Miku said with a shrug. "I'm not sure. Just don't get too close to them, otherwise."

"Keep our distance, stay firm, got it. Need anything else?"

"No. I hope it'll be fine. If I need anything I'll come get you."

"Gotcha."

Once in Gumi's room, Meiko was instructed to lay on the bed, and to Miku's surprise, she obeyed.

"We will go back to Master?" was her only remaining question.

"We will," the tealette repeated with a nod. "Don't worry."

Worry. Did Meiko worry at that point? Did she have any idea of what was going on? Did she need reassurance at any level, or was she dead and dumb, through and through?

"So here's what's going to happen," Gumi suddenly said. "When Miku came to us, she was sick, and we realized that the rest of you are sick as well."

Meiko displayed the vaguest hint at confusion. "Sick?"

"Yes. There's a filter inside of you that's severely limiting your mental capacities, and we'd like to remove it. Would you permit us to do so?"

Miku was appalled: Gumi was asking permission? Even Galaco seemed surprised. Meiko, on the other hand, merely nodded, and the tealette couldn't tell if she was simply agreeing because she couldn't go against orders, or if she actually consented on some level.

Despite knowing that this was for the best, Miku couldn't help but feel a bit sick.

After the brunette had nodded, Gumi quickly explained the process, pointing to her where the panel in her torso was, where the filter was located, where the other parts that allowed her to get online wirelessly were located, how they were going to remove them.

"All in all, if you're anything like Miku, this should take less than an hour," Gumi finished. "After we remove the filter, you'll experience some…" she faltered, and her eyes sought Miku's.

"You'll go through an unexpected sleep cycle," the tealette tried to explain. "You will dream and remember many things. It's normal, and will take a little while."

"Do you still permit us to proceed?" Gumi said towards the Vocaloid.

Again, Meiko nodded.

"Alright, let's get to it."

The operation went just as planned. Miku played the role that Lily had for her, making sure the brunette wouldn't get too upset (if she could at all) and that she still remained somewhat clothed, even if the Vocaloid didn't seem to care. In the end, there was no need for the towels: her shirt was simply hitched up until Gumi could open the panel. Galaco quickly plugged her into the computer, Meiko consented to the connection, and Miku watched as the code of her mind started scrolling wildly down the screen: it was identical to how hers' had looked, once.

With the panel open and the Vocaloid plugged in, Gumi and Galaco tracked down the various devices they wanted to remove.

They started with the wireless connection devices, which were removed without a problem, and Meiko didn't complain in the slightest. If anything, she seemed bored or disinterested, and Miku envied her emotional detachment: even though she wasn't the one on the operating table, she still couldn't bear seeing her insides, as mechanical as they were.

"Are you alright?" she eventually asked her.

Meiko blinked. "Yes. I am fine. My systems are optimal."

Miku dared smile a bit. "You're not too cold or anything? Would you like to listen to a story?"

"A story?"

Without waiting, Galaco put on another audiobook. The focus in the brunette's eyes all but faded away, and Miku interpreted that as her paying attention to the words that filled the room.

Finding the bug was easier, since they knew what they were looking for and more or less where it would be. Slight anatomical differences between the two Vocaloids meant that the location wasn't identical, but luckily it wasn't in an entirely different part of her.

"Should we cut the wire first, or remove the box?" Gumi asked. "We can do both."

Meiko flinched a bit, coming back to the present. "I must keep an eye on Miku. I have found her. We must go to Master."

Galaco sighed. "Remove box first it is."

And just like that, Meiko zoned out once again. Even as the two women worked at separating the device from the rest of her, drilling and pulling and sawing some, with Galaco vacuuming away the dust that fell inside, Meiko didn't seem to care, still managing to hang onto the story.

Finally, the bug was hanging on by just the wire.

"We're going to cut it, now," Gumi warned the Vocaloid.

"Very well."

"You'll be ok," Miku said to her, hoping that she'd understand at some level. "Your dreams and memories will be scary. But you'll be ok."

Meiko seemed to consider her words, briefly, but she only nodded.

When Gumi cut the wire, she stayed awake for all of a second, before falling unconscious.

Miku gulped: it really looked like she'd died. Her code on the screen had stopped entirely.

"Ok let's take a look at how her mind is adapting," Galaco said as she opened her new program.

"You think it worked?" Miku asked.

"Why wouldn't it?"

The tealette shrugged, the uncertainty ripping through her slowly.

She didn't have to fear for long; the moment Galaco's program booted up, there was already a swirling mass of 0s and 1s, though less colored and far less mobile. The tealette was about to weep at the failure, but Galaco smiled.

"Ok, this is promising," she assured the tealette. "You said that, later, you relive the past ten years?"

"Yes?"

"Yeah, that's probably similar to how humans develop a personality by going through experiences. By reliving those years, her emotions may solidify and grow."

Miku smiled, and sighed in relief. "Oh, that's good."

"Yeah, she'll be perfectly alright."

Meiko was unplugged, the panel was closed, and Gumi stood to stretch.

"Alright, that's one," she said. "Who's next, Kaito?"

"Yes."

"How long did that take?"

"About forty minutes," Galaco replied. "So we're good on time."

"Perfect: we might get them all done today."

Miku went to fetch Gakupo, who came up and carefully lifted the brunette from the bed. Miku followed him downstairs to the guest room and helped him gently put Meiko down on one of the five beds in the guest room.

By then, they could see that the brunette was still breathing, albeit very slightly. Gakupo patted Miku on the back.

"You're being very brave," he told her, quietly.

"You think?"

"I can't even imagine seeing my own friends like this, and having to to this to them," he sighed. "It's hard to see the people you love in such a state."

Miku nodded. "It is. But I have to see this through. For their sake."

She went to the living room to fetch Kaito. By then, the other Vocaloids had taken a seat on the couch, but had requested nothing else. The other Internet Co members watched over them, otherwise occupied or nervous.

"They haven't said a word since you left," Lily told her. "At one point they simply sat down, staring straight ahead."

"You sure you were once totally like them?" Kokone asked. "You seem like another kind of machine entirely. No offense, of course."

"Meiko is already recovering," Miku tried to explain. "They'll get better soon."

"Miku, please come home," Luka said without warning.

"Master was looking for you," Rin and Len chorused.

Kaito, however stayed silent. Ignoring their requests, only asking for them to be a little bit patient, Miku asked him to follow her, and he listened. Soon enough, the entire pre-operation procedure was repeated, Kaito consented, and it all started again.

He was built differently, but not by much. First, the door opened at the other side, requiring the entire setup to be moved to the other side of the bed. Then, the location of the ports wasn't as expected. Gumi and Galaco started searching, while Miku held Kaito's hand, keeping her eyes away from the cavity in his abdomen. Kaito, unfazed, watched at the two women searched. As the minutes ticked by, he looked at Miku and asked, "Is there a problem?"

The tealette smiled. She wanted to believe that he was concerned, or even scared, and not just automatically hoping to best serve his human masters. "You're going to be ok, Kaito. Don't worry."

He didn't respond. Luckily, Galaco found the ports, which faced towards his back. He was plugged in, and he consented for her to access his mind. Gumi, in the meantime, hunted for the bug and other parts. Since his torso was so much larger than the female Vocaloids', they were easier to both find and access. The parts were removed, the wire was cut, and Kaito shut down. His mind stopped displaying code, and became a similar, small, timid mess.

Miku let herself breathe a little bit easier. Gakupo and Cul helped bring him downstairs (since he was so much heavier), and the twins were next. They stood together, and Miku felt bad, leaving Luka alone there on the couch.

"You'll keep an eye on her?" she asked Lily.

"Of course."

Once the twins were in Gumi's room, Miku asked if either wanted to go first, but none showed initiative. Gumi flipped a coin: it was Rin's turn. Her build was almost identical to Miku's, and she was done in record time. Len, as he watched, voiced no comment, concern, or emotion. When it was his turn, he didn't protest, and the operation happened just as quickly on him.

It was strange for Miku, to be there for them, when they clearly weren't truly 'there'. She held hands that didn't know what hand-holding meant, she comforted souls that didn't seem to know fear or concern. Unlike with Meiko, the audiobook didn't even seem to faze them. Miku knew that the only thought on their minds was to alert Master that they had found her. They had only agreed to this entire process with the promise of going to him eventually. It felt dirty and deceitful, no matter how much she repeated herself that this was for their own good.

After all, what if she were wrong?

The sleeping twins joined Meiko and Kaito downstairs. Finally, _finally_ , it was Luka's turn.

Miku gulped. The process had gone well with everybody so far, but what if something went wrong now? She couldn't bear the thought that harm would come to Luka, that she could be damaged, or worse yet, beyond saving. She needed her.

Luka entered the room, following her wordlessly. Gumi and Galaco were as ready as ever, but Miku felt like she was shaking.

Suddenly, the Vocaloid did something unexpected. She spoke, unprompted.

"Where are the others?" she inquired.

"They're fine, don't worry," Miku tried to reassure her.

But she knew that the Vocaloid wasn't worried. She had simply noticed the absence of the other units, and since they had wanted to tell Master that they had found Miku, new disappearances were unacceptable. It was honestly a bit surprising that nobody had commented on that yet, the tealette realized.

Luka did not protest and obeyed, lying down on the bed. Gumi explained the process, Luka consented like every other Vocaloid had, and then they went to work. Even though she had done so for every Vocaloid so far, Miku couldn't help but feel nervous as she held her hand. The Vocaloid didn't seem concerned, curious, or even bothered. She stared at the ceiling, not in the slightest worried about what Gumi and Galaco were doing. When the audiobook started for the sixth time that day, Luka seemed to focus on it, reacting oh-so-slightly to the narration, but she didn't lose her spatial awareness altogether: the tealette caught her peeking in her direction a few times, making sure that the tealette wouldn't disappear again. Miku, trying to play it cool, instead stared at the code of Luka's mind as it appeared on the screen. With a bitter sigh, she thought that the rows of letters and numbers seemed more alive than the Vocaloid she was trying to comfort.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the wire was cut, the program switched, and Miku witnessed the resurrection of Luka's consciousness. She sighed in relief.

It was done.

They were all going to be ok.

Crypton wouldn't be able to keep them any longer.

She followed Luka downstairs, partly because she never wanted to part from her ever again, partly because she wanted to see how the other Vocaloids were faring. They were all dead to the world, breathing just the barest minimum, but she knew what they were going through, living through the sheer emptiness of space itself, before being plunged head-first into their own past and emotions.

Since they weren't sleeping, really, the light was on. Gakupo left her with her friends, sitting there in the middle of the room. At the far end of the room, opposite the door, lay Meiko. At her feet, against the adjacent wall, was Kaito. Rin and Len were against the wall opposite Kaito's, and against the wall next to the door, at Rin and Len's feet, lay Luka.

She watched them. They probably wouldn't wake until well into the evening. They'll want something to eat, and maybe some quiet. Each member of the Internet Co had offered their individual rooms, should the different Vocaloids want time alone to digest what had happened.

In the worst case scenario, they probably wouldn't even get all of their emotions back at once. It would be a slow and gradual process. Best case scenario, they would wake up as confused as could be but alive, and human. Like that, they could declare independence from Crypton soon, and never have to fear being used again.

She wondered if the Vocaloids would also go through a brief period of being awake, and aware, before remembering ten year's worth of memories. She remembered hearing everybody panic at her sudden unconsciousness, but she didn't know how soon after the cutting of the wire that had happened. An hour later? Mere minutes? Had Meiko already gone through that? Had she awoken in an unfamiliar room, alone and afraid?

Miku squirmed. Kaito would have had that, too, as well as the twins. Maybe Rin had awoken while they had been working on Len, but had been unable to move, unable to speak.

Would Luka wake up soon? Or had that window already passed? Or, maybe, since they hadn't been as emotionally experienced, maybe they wouldn't wake up at all, and would go straight to the remembering.

A movement flickered at the corner of her eye. She turned, somewhat surprised, but saw Luka, frozen but awake, staring at the world around her. Her eyes darted to and fro before finally landing on the tealette.

Miku could hardly believe her eyes: she could see fear in Luka's eyes! Yes, it was fear, an awful, terrible emotion, but it was an emotion!

Miku rushed to her side, forcing back tears.

"You'll be ok," she promised, trying to appear comforting, but even she could hear her own surprise. Could Luka pick up on that? Would it scare her? "You're in for one hell of a ride but you'll be ok, honest! We'll all be here when you wake up." Then, almost as if she were too scared to admit it, she whispered, "I missed you."

Luka's eyes seemed to fill with something else. Happiness? Comfort? But just a second later, she was out like a light. Her eyes closed again, and Miku knew she was busy reliving the past ten years.

The tealette looked at the time; the clock still hung on the wall, at her request. Only a few minutes until five in the evening. Maybe ten minutes had gone by since they'd cut the wire, maybe a bit more.

She sighed. Just like that, Miku was left to play the waiting game. Who knew if they would all go through the memories for the same amount of time. Maybe some had more vivid experiences, or maybe none at all. Who knew how long it would take?

Despite that, she decided to wait. She didn't want to leave her friends; she refused to let them out of her sight, now that they were finally there. They were safe, saved. Crypton would never get them again.


	23. Back To Reality

**Chapter 22, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Time passed slowly. She knew she would have to wait a while before any of them first showed a sign of life, but refused to go have dinner regardless. Instead, Cul brought her a plate, and she ate in silence, hoping that by some miracle, one of the Vocaloids would wake up early. And hey, even if they wouldn't, she would wait for them, even if she would have to stay awake until morning. Even if she would have to sit there for days on end.

And so she waited.

The books were of little help, honestly, providing nothing more than a temporary and bland distraction. She couldn't get herself out of the present, she couldn't ignore the sound of their breathing, she couldn't stop watching the slow rise and fall of their chests. They lived, they were coming alive, they were being resurrected right there in that room, and all she could do was watch.

Finally, without warning, something happened. To Miku's surprise, it wasn't Meiko, or even Kaito, who woke up first. Instead, Rin shot up as if she had been suffocating, gasping for air, and Len followed a handful of seconds later. Miku immediately rushed to their side, reassuring them as best as she could, but they seemed completely lost in their own minds; their eyes darted around without seeing, they grabbed around but didn't try to figure out what they were touching.

It was scary and violent and completely unlike Miku's awakening.

She called for help, feeling panic rise within her. Lily and Gakupo rushed in, already dressed in sleepwear, but had no idea what to do, either. In the end, they settled on making sure that they couldn't harm themselves, or one another; Gakupo's legs served as a shield between the two, so that their waving arms didn't hit each other, while Lily and Miku did their best at shielding their faces.

Almost as quickly as it had started, Len quieted down, followed by his sister. Instead of slumbering, they stared ahead, creases forming between their brows. Rin even had a grip on Miku's hands, squeezing so tight it almost hurt. They were breathing heavily, and if Miku hadn't known for a fact that their internal components couldn't be heard from the outside, she would have sworn she could hear their parts hum.

As a cherry on top, Rin screamed into a void only she saw, and Miku heard it; anger. They were both angry. They were angry and sad and were trying to swallow the impossibly bitter pill of the years wasted.

They didn't know that they once had regular lives, Miku reminded herself. They didn't remember that emotions were normal, and that they once had personalities and favorite hobbies. Also, she had to remember, they had simply been taken from complete mental isolation straight into life; they didn't have the blessing of Miku's natural-born humanity.

This was a shock. A very painful, sudden shock. And all they knew was ten years' worth of one day.

The memories must have been maddening. Completely maddening.

Len groaned, too, also vocalizing the bitter anger, but in a more restrained way.

When the two had quieted down, Gakupo asked, "What's gotten into them?" Their eyes had drifted closed, but they were far from asleep.

"I'm afraid it would take a while to explain," Miku admitted. "They need time."

"Are the others going to wake up soon?" Lily asked, gently prying Len's hands out of his hair.

"I imagine. They may react similarly, and will want an explanation," the tealette reasoned.

"Yeah, I'd like that…!" hissed Rin.

Miku couldn't help but chuckle in relief. "Rin! How are you?" she asked, suddenly ecstatic.

The blonde breathed deeply a few times. "I feel like shit! I feel like…"

And just like that, she started sobbing. Miku looked to Lily for advice, but Len was already sitting up, curled up around his knees. He didn't seem to be crying, but his breathing was particularly labored.

"You're right," mumbled Gakupo. "They need time."

Lily nodded. "Should we bring them to my room? Like that they can recuperate in a quiet place. And the other Vocaloids can wake up in peace."

"I think that's a good idea," agreed the tealette. "Now that I think about it, we should have brought them to individual rooms to start with."

"It's fine," Gakupo assured her. "It's also good for them to know that they're not alone."

Rin suddenly sat up. "Where's Len?"

Without waiting for an answer, she spotted him and immediately flung towards him, hugging him like her life depended on it.

"Rin, is that you?" asked her brother, still curled into a ball.

"It is!"

Lily made to intervene, but Miku stopped her. "Let them have this."

Len promptly unraveled himself to return the hug, and together the twins cried and growled, desperately trying to cope with everything they had just experienced.

After a couple of minutes, they quieted down without lessening the strength of their embrace, but Miku dared ask if they'd like to go somewhere quiet, hoping to put on a brave front. Truthfully, seeing them react so venomously scared her somewhat.

"Quiet…?" Rin muttered through tears. "I need Len."

"We won't separate you," Gakupo comforted her. "But if you'd like a private space for you two to talk, we can offer you one."

Len mumbled something in agreement, and Rin nodded. Lily and Gakupo helped them to their feet, before they went out the door with wobbly steps, following the blonde to her room. Lily promised she'd watch over the twins, so that Miku could be there when the other Vocaloids would wake up.

When silence returned to the room, Miku let out one long, deep sigh.

She hoped that the other Vocaloids would wake more peacefully, but she doubted it. She was fortunate to have almost a year of independent thinking to soften the blow after nine years of the same. None of the other Vocaloids had that, not even a single day. Surely, they would all wake up angry, confused, sad, or vengeful, and express it in their own ways.

Gakupo let her think, standing next to her quietly. After a moment, he asked, "Would you like me to stay?"

"Yes, please."

He sank to his knees next to the tealette, and joined her in the waiting game.

"Who do you think will be next?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I didn't expect Rin and Len to be the first."

He thought about it for a minute or two. "They probably had more stability than the others. They weren't alone, and having one person at their side could have helped."

"You think so?"

"Yes. You took quite a few hours to wake up. Seven, eight? The twins only took five. Thirty minutes for every year of routine. I'm guessing you took so much longer because, in the last year, you had so much more to relive and experience."

"You're guessing that the more diverse the life of the Vocaloid, the longer it will take for them to wake up?"

"Probably not diverse in their life, per se. But diverse in their emotions. A day is a day. And if a day looks like every other day, then on an emotional level, that's a quick job. But say that one day, something really exciting happens. That's already more to process. How about trauma? Or a moment of confusion?"

"I see what you mean. Rin and Len must have had painfully monotonous, but reliable, lives."

"And the last to wake will have gone through a bit more than just the daily grind."

"I understand."

Minutes ticked by. At one point, Lily returned; the twins were back downstairs, each with a snack and something to drink, and the company of the other Internet Co members. They seemed to like being surrounded by people, and were already feeling better.

"Galaco is particularly fond of them," Lily said with a small smile. "But we'll wait for everyone before you recap everything."

"Thanks, Lily."

"No problem. No progress here?"

"None," replied Gakupo. "But we'll wait as long as we need to."

"Gotcha. We're all in the living room. Need any help, just holler."

"Isn't it late?" the tealette asked.

"Don't worry about it, Miku. Honestly, I don't think any of us will sleep before everybody wakes up, safe and sound."

"If you insist."

With a comforting thumbs-up, Lily left them, and once again, Miku and Gakupo were left to wait.

She couldn't help but feel thankful for his help, the tealette realized. This man hadn't always been on her side, and a mere week ago, probably considered her nothing more than a piece of property. Despite his initial prejudice, once he was swayed, his generosity seemed boundless. She remembered how Cul had described him, and couldn't help but admit that once-surprising words now rang true. The same went for Gumi, and Galaco as well. Even Kokone seems to have taken a firm stance on her side, even if she continued to ask the painful questions.

All in all, she was grateful for the company she ended up with. Next to her, Gakupo shifted slightly. She thought that maybe the blood flow was hampered in his knees, thanks to the way he sat, and that caused him discomfort. Strange, the things humans could feel. Even with her full range of emotions, there still were clear differences between human and machine. Most of it boiled down to the hardware, of course, but Miku couldn't help but wonder how much more she was missing out on simply by being deprived from such little things.

A thought for later, she told herself. Right then wasn't the right time.

Mere minutes later, Kaito let out a long, deep groan. Gakupo and Miku rushed to his side, but he seemed to be waking in a much calmer fashion. Instead of thrashing and yelling, he merely rubbed his face with his hands, covering the expression of true anger and regret.

Since he seemed calm, Miku decided to speak to him. "How are you?"

He moved his hands so he could look around. "Miku? Is that you?"

"Yes."

He blinked a few times. "Where am I? Where is everyone?"

"You're safe. Everyone is."

His hands drifted downward, hesitating, so Miku gently took one in her own. "How are you feeling?"

The Vocaloid stared at their hands. "What is this? This feeling… I'm confused."

"That's ok," Miku comforted him. "You're not in pain? You can move?"

Kaito freed his hands so that he could sit up, nodding when he felt like everything was in order. Once upright, though, he saw Luka. "Where's Meiko? The twins?"

"Meiko's behind you," replied Gakupo, in a surprisingly quiet voice.

"And the twins are already awake."

"Ah…" Kaito stared at his slumbering friends for a handful of seconds. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid it's a long story. If you want, you can have some time alone to gather your thoughts. Or you can join the twins, with everyone else."

"We'll get you something to eat," suggested Gakupo.

"Eat…" He blinked again, a few times. "That sounds like a really good idea. I'll go for that."

Gakupo helped him up, and let the Vocaloid use him for support, as he seemed to have some trouble walking. Just before Kaito made it through the door, though, he turned around one last time.

"Meiko will be ok, right?" he asked.

The tealette suppressed a smile. "Of course."

He nodded, and left. Miku wasn't alone for long: Lily joined her not a minute later.

"How are the twins?"

"After getting something to eat and getting to meet everyone properly, they seemed to be doing a lot better. They're not exactly ecstatic about anything, but they're lively enough."

"Ah, that's good."

"How was Kaito?"

"He was much calmer than the twins…" Miku sighed. "And he seemed a lot more confused and disoriented. I can understand the twins' anger, but I'm not sure what to make of his reaction."

"Everybody has different coping mechanisms. It would surprise me if everybody reacted in exactly the same way."

"That makes sense."

"Who do you bet will wake up next?"

"Probably Meiko. She and Kaito had a lot of parallels in their schedule, a bit like how Rin and Len were always together. Luka, on the other hand, was alone a lot. A bit more like me."

"Right. I hope they wake up soon."

"As—"

As if on cue, Meiko sat straight up with a gasp. Immediately, her eyes were taking in her surroundings, spotting the empty mattresses, Luka's motionless form, Miku, and a relative stranger. At first, fear fired up in her eyes at the sight of the blonde woman, but instead of panicking, she immediately calmed down.

"You're alright…" she whispered, slumping against the wall. Miku joined her side quickly, but Lily remained in the center of the room, all too aware of the way the brunette had looked at her.

"I'm alright," Miku replied. "How are you?"

"How am I?" Meiko mumbled. "I'm alright? I guess? I feel… This is weird."

"You'll get used to it. Do you need some time alone?"

Meiko shook her head, tensing up as she spoke. "The others. Where are the others? You've been missing for over a week Miku, I was worried sick! Where did everyone go?"

"Kaito, Rin and Len are together, in the living room. You can join them if you want."

"Kaito…" the brunette sighed, relaxing again. "I want to see them. I need to. I want to know that everyone is alright."

"Alright. Lily will take you."

Meiko eyed the blonde. "Lily. And… And the others. You introduced us."

"She and her friends welcomed me while I was missing. They're friends."

"If— If you say so. You're staying?"

"I want to be here when Luka wakes up."

"Ah, right, of course…"

Lily helped the brunette to her feet, but Meiko seemed just fine standing on her own. "You're ok?" the blonde asked, to make sure.

"I'm just a bit confused," Meiko admitted, looking around. "I can't tell where I am."

"Alright. Just hold on to me, we'll get you with the others in a second."

And like that, they were gone.

Miku was alone with Luka.

Luka was the last to wake up.

The tealette sighed, unable to stop this growing sense of sadness from invading her mind. Kaito and Meiko seemed alright enough, as did the twins. And sure, Luka was the last to undergo the operation, but for everyone to wake so quickly?

Maybe she had underestimated the effect of living in pairs. Miku had spent most of her routine alone, and her rest had taken hours. Luka was the only other solitary Vocaloid, whether she liked it or not. It had probably had a major effect on her psyche.

The tealette sat next to the slumbering Vocaloid. It was strange; her friend was completely silent and motionless. Aside from her breathing, she didn't even seem to be sleeping. It was much closer to death than she would have liked.

Miku pushed back tears, and was grateful that nobody had come to replace Lily. She wondered what everybody was doing upstairs. Talking, maybe. The Internet Co group was probably showing the Vocaloid all of the joys of feeling, being alive, and so on. More than likely, Miku would have to warn them of all the unexpected side effects, like the sudden difficulty of falling asleep; it would make feeling much easier for them, especially since it came straight out of nowhere.

Of course, the first thing to do would be to tell the story. What happened, why, when. But could she tell them exactly how it used to be? No, absolutely not. There was no guarantee that they were the same people, so they probably wouldn't grow into the same relationships. It was a painful truth, but a truth nonetheless, so telling them who dated who would probably just create confusion.

It would be best to simply tell that they were once capable of love, and were once again, and let them explore.

She hated it, though. She wanted to be with Luka again, but she was the only one who had seen the past, and knew what it felt like. If Luka were to love someone else… Well, then so be it. Miku would have all of eternity to get over it.

Miku blinked back tears again, a battle she was losing. She had to be there for her friend, when she woke up. This moment wasn't about her. She couldn't be so selfish. She would wait, patiently, with no tears and no complaints.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait too long; merely thirty minutes after Meiko had left, Miku guessed. Luka didn't sit up or groan or yell, though. In fact, Miku almost missed the fact that she had woken up, because the only sign of life the taller Vocaloid gave was her tears.

Luka was crying. Silently, she cried, and silently, Miku watched.

She didn't know what to do: did the pinkette think she was alone? Would speaking scare her? Or was she still somewhat asleep?

Lost and mind racing, Miku decided on putting a hand on Luka's shoulder. The Vocaloid flinched, but didn't pull back.

"Luka?"

Under Miku's watchful eye, the Vocaloid tensed, like a restrained stretch, her eyelids fluttered, and her expression went from neutral to a mix of fearful, confused, and upset. Miku pulled back her hand as Luka opened her eyes, unable to speak while she looked around. There wasn't much to see, though, except for the wall, and Miku sitting right next to her. Inevitably, those eyes fell on the tealette.

"How are you feeling?" she asked for what had to be the fourth or fifth time that day.

Luka let out a deep sigh. Her tears had stopped, but now she just looked confused, her eyes focused on a distant place only she seemed able to see.

"Feeling…" she said airily. "How am I…?"

Miku gulped. "You're not in pain?"

"No."

The confidence of her answer filled the tealette with a much-needed ounce of happiness. "Ah, that's good."

The Vocaloid blinked slowly, and let out another sigh. "What just happened?"

The tealette hesitated, and Luka noticed: her eyes found hers' quickly, and Miku was scared by the alertness in her gaze. "It's— It's something I'd like to explain to everyone at the same time; like that we're all on the same page?" She nearly squirmed at how feeble her tone sounded: she was supposed to be comforting, not pleading. "In any case, everything should be alright from now on. There will be some confusing moments, but I'm here to help you all through it."

Luka didn't reply at first, instead closing her eyes. Just when Miku wondered if she wanted to sleep or be alone, she spoke, her voice low, "You've been gone for a while."

"It's a long story. Don't worry, I'll tell it soon, but right now I just want to make sure you— you're all ok."

"The others are…?"

"They're awake and walking around. They've probably had something to eat as well."

The Vocaloid's eyes opened again. "That sounds nice."

"If you want to join them, we can. But if you need some time alone, we'll understand: the twins needed a bit of downtime."

"No. I'd like to see everyone."

Miku nodded and stood, but realized that maybe Luka wouldn't be able to get up on her own; she hadn't moved.

"Do you need help?"

"No, I don't think so. Just a minute…"

The tealette waited patiently, not quite sure of what to do with her hands all of a sudden. When Luka sat up, she hesitated, and accepted the hand Miku offered to help her up.

"Thank you," she said, her voice still quiet. "Moving is not quite what it was."

"I understand. It'll take a while to get used to."

"You went through this, too?" she asked, taking one step forward towards the door, still holding on to Miku's hand.

"Yes. There will be other surprises, but I'll be happy to help you all get used to it."

Luka nodded, and let go of her hand. "I'm curious to hear why you have thought it wise to put us all through this as well."

"I— There were many reasons."

Luka didn't reply. Together they went out the room, down the hall, towards the living room. Miku expected it to be lively there, but instead, even with ten people in the relatively small space, it was rather quiet. The twins were still somewhat subdued, but chatted with one another enthusiastically, each holding a throw pillow to their chest. Even with their hushed tone, Miku could tell from their sparkling eyes and timid smile that they were already exploring and rediscovering their bond, and it was endearing to see. Meiko and Kaito, on the other hand, were a little more withdrawn, clearly more concerned with getting some answers and sticking together. They were talking with Gakupo, who was surely speaking in that soft voice, as to not startle them too much. Miku was surprised to see them together, at first, but it soon made sense; much like how Rin and Len were inseparable because they had never been separated, Kaito and Meiko were most familiar with each other's presence. The other Internet Co members were quietly discussing in their own corner, not excluding the Vocaloids, but not being overbearing, either. Miku guessed they'd offered drinks, food, and most anything else they could think of to the Vocaloids, and their guests had simply refused.

When Miku and Luka entered the room, Meiko and Kaito immediately noticed; they had probably been waiting for them. Gakupo let them go without complaint.

"Hi guys," Miku greeted them. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better now," Kaito replied for the both of them. "I had some ice cream, Meiko had some water, the twins apparently had some juice and cookies. Gakupo was polite enough to tell us a bit more about who they were, and where we are."

"They're human idols, apparently," Meiko urgently whispered, as if it were some grand secret.

"They are."

"How did you find them?"

"And why are we here?" Luka asked.

"And what happens now?" Rin chirped, joining the conversation.

"Everything feels so different now," Len added. "Thinking is weird."

Kaito nodded. "Are we going home? We were supposed to go to the studio today."

"Not right away. I want you guys to know what happened in the past, first, before we decide on our next step."

"The past? Does that have something to do with why we're here?" Meiko asked.

"And what happened to us?" Luka pitched in.

"It has everything to do with it," Miku tried to sound confident, but surrounded by so much doubt, she couldn't help but question herself. "It will take some time to tell the whole story."

With no warning, a hand confidently grasped her shoulder; it was Lily, and next to her stood Gakupo and Cul.

"Miku's been through a lot for your sakes," said the blonde with that confident smile. "So give her a little bit of credit, and a little bit of time. She'll explain, don't worry."

The other Vocaloids didn't seem to know what to make of the statement: some looked more confused than before, while others seemed to brighten up. "If you say so," Meiko muttered, among the more doubtful ones.

"If it's alright with you, Miku," Cul quickly told her, "We'll leave you to explain everything to your friends."

"We don't want to cause any crosswinds," Gakupo added.

"The kitchen and anything else you'd need to use are all yours," Cul continued.

"Feel free to stay up as long as you need," Lily made sure to add. "I'm sure you all have a lot of catching up to do."

Miku nodded. It would probably be best for the Vocaloids to be among themselves for the time being. "Thanks for all the help, guys."

"No problem, Miku," Gakupo said with a thumbs-up, before one by one, the human hosts left the room, bidding the Vocaloids a good night.

Just like that, Miku was once again with her friends, but unlike the tearful reunion she'd anticipated, she felt like she was being questioned. Come to think of it, this entire day must have been painfully confusing for the Vocaloids. A day just like any other, until the sudden abduction. Their kidnappers then operated on them, one by one, giving them a whole new range of emotions, and an entirely new way of thinking. Suddenly, everything had changed, nothing was the same, and there was no apparent reason for it whatsoever.

The only reason they weren't upset, she mused, was probably because Miku had been there. They knew her, at least to a certain degree. Add the memories of Miku desperately trying to get them to like various things, and it probably made a little bit more sense. She was surely the one who organized it all, they thought. They could depend on her for all the answers.

With a few words, she invited her friends to take a seat. But all seemed to hesitate, and Miku realized that they probably thought that the seating was designated; that's how things were, back at their home.

"It's alright, you can sit anywhere."

Just like that, the twins occupied the couch, and the others occupied some of the various chairs that surrounded the coffee table. Miku sat in Gakupo's favorite armchair, and while she knew that she didn't possess a heart, the fear and apprehension within her made her shake and tremble.

With all of them facing her, though, she realized that all of a sudden, it had become an us-versus-them situation, even if nobody consciously knew it: Miku had done this to them. She owed them an explanation, and if it wasn't good enough, an apology. They stared at her, hungry, maybe even slightly angry, frustrated. What happened to us, Miku? Why did you do this? What's happening next? Could this be undone? Luka's eyes were the most painful to bear; in that moment, the thirst for answers was practically rolling off of her.

Miku, fists grasping the armrests rightly, took one deep breath. She started by saying that she understood their current confusion, apologized for the lack of warning, and that she would answer questions after the tale. Then, slowly and painfully, told everything that had happened ever since she had seen those birds eating something in the garden. She didn't spare details like she had done with the Internet group: she explained how the blueprints for the house had popped up into her mind, how it felt exactly to have emotions swimming between her code and her skull, what it was like for them to manipulate the very frame of her thoughts.

The part when she admitted that she had seen fifty years through Luka's eyes was probably the first part that truly made her hesitate, but Miku was determined: they were going to hear the truth. It didn't help that this was the most important part of the tale. These confusing emotions, this strange number-less and vague way of thinking and processing the world, these were once the norm. They hadn't even questioned it. And it all got taken away, because the Vocaloids wanted to be a little too close to human for comfort: they wanted the right to love.

Enter the explanation of who and what Crypton truly was: they owned them, made money from the music they sang, and most importantly, didn't want to relinquish their control over the Vocaloids. This included a brief explanation of the laws around AIs, but she promised that Gakupo would have all of the important information regarding that: she didn't want to tell falsehoods to them at that point.

The truth was that the routine that was their norm was actually a curse, a hollow husk of what life once was, what could have been. Miku returned to the story, recounting how she had reacted to this discovery, and the birth of her new goal; she needed to save them all. Luckily, the Vocaloids remembered her attempts to coax their souls back to the surface, so she didn't need to explain that part in detail. Then came the second most painful part, namely when Luka found her crying in her room.

The tealette fought the blush she could feel creep up to her ears. She didn't go into detail there, merely telling that Luka had found her, and Miku expressed her heartbreak at the terrible situation. She had to tell this story; the consequences it brought were too significant. Only two days later, Miku was escorted to Master, for Luka had voiced her own concerns about Miku to him. The tealette told with a strained voice about the botched attempt at operating her, her race through the city, and how she had landed in the Internet Co household. Finally, she shared a few details about her days with the humans, how they had found about the bug inside them all and how to remove it, and the consequences.

"Now, who you are and what you think are totally unrestrained: there's no filter censoring your personality, your desires, or your feelings. Aside from simply getting used to the new way of thinking and moving, you're definitely going to encounter a few surprises from now on," Miku explained. "There are no prompts or alerts any more; warnings will be announced through feelings and emotions, and it takes a while to figure out how to interpret it all."

She explained the most important differences she could remember off the top of her head before moving on to how the Vocaloids ended up there, with a hastily organized kidnapping. From then on, there was no news to tell.

"I think that's it," Miku said, heart heavy. "If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

A heavy silence hung in the room. The Vocaloids had gone from staring straight at her to staring at their hands, their feet, at the ground on front of them, lost in their thoughts, in the new information they had learned.

"So, this way of thinking," Kaito started, his voice hesitant. "This vague, incomprehensible mush that's constantly floating in my skull… This was how we once thought?"

"Yes."

"Did— Did we start out like this?"

"I don't know," Miku confessed. "It's possible that we grew to think like that, or that we were taught."

"And just because we started acting like True AIs, Master took that away from us," Meiko summed up.

"That's right."

Kaito spoke again. "But why did you have to give it back to us?"

"What do you mean?"

The man was more than confused, Miku realized. He was irritated, even a bit upset. He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, wringing them together before grabbing the seat of the chair, the legs, before fiddling with his sleeves. His eyes were downcast, but intense, while his lips were twisted into a restrained scowl. "Things were ok, before. Things were easy, before! Now I can't seem to know anything for sure, I'm in a place that I don't know, dependent on strangers, and why? Because it happened to you? Why did we need this? We— We were ok."

Miku felt more than saw the five pairs of eyes lock back onto her when Kaito was done with his questions. "I— It pained me to remember you as you were, to know that you were all so full of potential, so full of life, but to live life as a statue. I figured you all deserved freedom. Asking you beforehand was out of the question: you remember how you acted, before!"

Kaito grumbled, before saying, his voice tense, "We may have been fish in a fishbowl, but what else did we need? We had each other, we could move, we were fed, we were safe… Why throw us back out into the ocean, where is dark, and dangerous, and nothing, not even happiness, is guaranteed?"

"We still have each other, but now, you have the luxury of choice! Granted, it won't always be easy, but now you may decide to travel the depths of the sea or the coral reefs. You may eat what you like, wear what you like, and, probably the most importantly… You may say what you like." Miku gave him a warm, somewhat bittersweet smile. "What you just said, Kaito, was extremely poetic, comparing to how you once spoke. That— That wasn't something you could have said, before."

He paused, startled. "Really?"

"Really. Things may be new, and somewhat scary, but that doesn't mean everything out there will be a threat, or even a challenge. These new things, these new ways of speaking, of being, they will come to you naturally. Everything else, well, is up to you to explore. You don't have to engage in new friendships, you don't have to try new food, you don't have to try to create… But you can. If you want."

"But what if we want to go back to how things were before?" Meiko timidly asked.

Miku's smile fell. "I think it would be possible," she admitted. "I don't think Gumi threw out the parts. If you really want, they could probably be reinstalled, reactivated."

The news caused somewhat of a stir in the group. Rin and Len eyed one another, and Kaito let out another incomprehensible grumble.

"It would be unfair to Miku if we were to take that decision so quickly," Luka suddenly said. "Maybe we ought to give it a day."

Hearing her support her was almost enough to make the tealette weep. "Yes. But… Please, be aware that there will be an exam in a few days: they will decide if we are True or Limited AIs. Should you decide to go back, it's most likely that you'll be handed over to Crypton. Once that happens, your future is forfeit, and whoever decides to go will probably never again see those who have decided to stay. Nor will they have the ability to care."

Another moment of unrest passed.

"So… What do we do now?" Rin asked. "Say we stay here, like this life enough, and pass that exam. Then what?"

"Legally, you'd be an adult human. You could do anything any adult could. If you'd really want, you could go back to Crypton, but they'd have to pay you a wage. But you could also travel, or stay here."

Len cocked his head to the side, slightly. "Do you have a plan, Miku?"

"No. I— I don't. Not yet."

"How come? You had so much time to think about it," Rin pointed out.

"To be honest, up until this very day, I was more preoccupied with rescuing you, and making sure you were safe. I was my own last priority."

"Oh. Well… What do you want to do?"

Miku shrugged. "Maybe I'd like to start my own singing career, independently. But right now? I'd like some quiet. I might stay here a while."

"Are our hosts trustworthy?" Luka said, her voice still even. Not once throughout the evening had she displayed any kind of emotion, except for vague unease when Miku said it would be possible to be turned back.

"They are. Kokone might sometimes say something or ask something that might hurt to talk about, but otherwise I trust them all."

"Are you sure?" Meiko insisted.

Instead of pointlessly insisting, Miku decided to quickly tell them a few words about each Internet Co member, starting with Gakupo's initial hostility towards her cause and how he changed his position when he learned more about AIs, before going to Gumi and her frightening opinion of their sentience before she realized that their minds were beyond comprehension. This lead her to Lily, and their relationship, then to Cul the cook, Galaco the fan, and Kokone the indecipherable.

"They're all good people, at heart," Miku finished up. "Different things motivate them all, but they're kind, generous, and thoughtful. If you have a question, it's more than likely that they'd love to help out and answer you."

The group seemed to accept the answer, but Meiko had yet another question. "This relationship that Lily and Gumi have… They're in love?"

"Yes. It's the same love we've all been made to sing over and over again."

"Is it the same love that made Crypton change us?" Luka asked.

Miku forced herself to answer without hesitation or catching or stuttering. "In part. We also expressed familial love, friendship. We simply cared for one another. Now that we're free, we can express what we wish, however we wish."

"That's nice," Kaito said with a sigh.

Silence returned to the room. Once Rin started fidgeting, Miku stood. "It's really late right now, and we've all had a busy day, to say the least. It would probably be a good idea to get some rest."

"You're right," Kaito said as he stood. "I feel…heavy."

"You're probably tired. Tomorrow morning we'll all have breakfast, and if you have more questions, I'll be happy to answer them."

"Very well."

The whole group stood and followed the tealette back to the guest room, but Miku didn't enter the room with them.

"You're not sleeping here?" Luka asked her.

She shook her head. "It would probably be a good idea if I gave you all some space," she admitted. "I'm aware that I'm a little bit of the black sheep, being a few steps ahead of you all. You should be able to share your concerns with each other without me monitoring you all the time."

"You sure?" Meiko asked from within the room. "Do you have someplace to rest, at least?"

"I'm staying in Gumi's room for the time being. Gumi is with Lily."

"Ah, ok."

Luka also accepted the answer, and went back to her bed. The Vocaloids started arranging their blankets and pillows and seemed to get settled rather quickly, probably eager to get some rest. They didn't even seem concerned with getting changed into proper sleepwear: aside from removing belts and other metallic bits, they didn't waste any more time. Just as Miku was about to wish them a good night and close the door, Kaito called out to her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I suppose," he mumbled, his voice somewhat obscured by the blankets. "Can you explain how we'll fall asleep, again? I'm not sure I got it."

"Yeah," Len pitched in. "It sounds hard."

Miku chuckled. "It'll happen. You're tired, right?"

"Yes," Kaito replied.

"Then it won't be a problem. Just breathe, relax, and it'll come naturally."

"Ok."

"Any other questions?"

"Just one," he said after a brief pause. "I get that all this took a lot of effort and time. But, if we decide that we do want to go back to Crypton, back to the way it was… Would you hate us?"

"No. I think I'd be disappointed. But I won't hate you."

He seemed surprised by her answer, and laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry. It's just… I can't make sense of my mind. I can't read my thoughts! They just drift and float and they're all so heavy with emotion. I don't understand how this was normal for us."

"It will take some getting used to," Miku tried to reassure him. "But I'd really like it if you gave this new life a try. You can always chose to abandon it later, but you won't be able to pick it up again if you do."

He nodded. "Right."

"And if you find that the emotions are keeping you awake, just focus on your breathing. Inhale, slowly, exhale slowly, and let yourself, and your mind, relax. Try not to focus on anything."

"Right…"

Miku moved to leave again, but another question came from the room. "Is it worth it?"

"Excuse me?"

Meiko turned towards her. "Are these emotions worth it?"

"They are. They really are."

When nobody else had a question, and everybody seemed to be properly tucked in, comfortably nestled into their blankets and pillows, Miku spared one last glance at Luka, who had her back turned to her.

Suppressing one last, heavy sigh, Miku closed the door, and let them be.

She was exhausted.


	24. In The Village of Blind Men

**Chapter 23, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day was tough at best. With the Internet Co members gone for the day, Miku was left alone with five Vocaloids, all of whom were still very confused. It wasn't just because of the situation: apparently they had stayed up til very, very late at night discussing their situation and the various possiblities. Consequently, they didn't fall asleep right away (though there wasn't any more trouble there, luckily), and missed breakfast entirely. Faced with the sudden disappearence of their human protectors, Miku had to explain the concept of a job, why getting paid was important, what money was, and what you could do with it. Only with that out of the way did she finally hear that the Vocaloids had decided against returning to Crypton —much to Miku's relief— and that they hoped to find out what this new life had in store for them.

Rin and Len didn't stick around for conversation. The duo had seemingly sprouted energy and enthusiasm beyond measure overnight, and immediately started testing their physical limits. Though they were, physically, machines, Miku had to remind them that actions did have consequences and that breaking things, or worse, injuring themselves, would be a terrible idea. Fortunately, they were satisfied with climbing trees, running through the grass, hiding throughout the house, and so on.

The more adult Vocaloids presented more of a challenge. Almost immediately after the basics of normal life had been explained, Luka withdrew entirely, isolating herself in the guest room. She did so without explanation, provocation or any obvious reason, and Miku couldn't tell if she was still confused, or if she was upset, and wondered if she might have hurt her unknowingly.

Kaito and Meiko, though they had firmly decided against returning to Crypton, were the most doubtful of the bunch. They kept asking questions of all sorts, asking how things worked, how they were made, why, for who. Miku did her best to answer them, even dedicating most of her day to them, hoping she was doing more good than bad, but their never-ending stream of questions was almost discouraging.

Either because she sensed her fatigue, or had gotten tired with the questions as well, Meiko eventually left to explore the rest of the house, leaving the tealette with Kaito. When it was just the two of them, the man suddenly returned to the scarier questions.

"What if I get a feeling I don't recognize?"

"You'll figure it out, I promise. Even humans in their later years can have trouble with them."

"What if I get a feeling I don't want? A bad one?"

"Then we'll do out best to help you overcome it, cope with it, or even learn to accept it. Again, those are normal, too."

"What if there's something really wrong with me but there's no feeling to match and I drop dead?"

"Then we'll fix you."

"And if it happens again?"

It went on for hours, the interrogation session ending only when Kaito had no questions left. Seeming only half-happy with the answers he'd gotten, he said he was going to go look at the books, so Miku stood and let him read to his heart's content.

With Luka isolated, Kaito busy reading, Meiko and the twins somewhere in the house, Miku was left alone, useless, with nothing to do. She wanted to sing, but feared it would send the wrong message, feared it would encourage them to return to that old rythm. No, she needed to explore as well, exhibit her own curiosity, her own enthusiasm to see the world. But frankly, all she desired was to sing the songs that were hers', and for Luka to return to her.

She didn't have time to be selfish, though. Plus, she had to accept that she probably once had other hobbies, which she had forgotten, and could profit from exploring the various activities the world had to offer.

Before she could even decide on something to try, the twins seemingly materialized before her: they wanted to see a movie. So, she had to show them how to turn on the TV, how to chose the movie they wanted to watch, and the most important buttons on the remote. When that was done, their hosts returned, giving Kaito a new outlet for his questions, and Miku had to help with dinner. Once the food was prepared and the table was set, she then needed to explain the concept of a series to the twins. By dinner time, Miku had had almost zero time to herself.

"Hey, you don't look so hot," Lily whispered to her; they were sitting side by side that evening.

"I'm tired," the tealette replied. "Everybody needs help and has questions."

"Don't forget to take some time for yourself."

Miku nodded, but her eyes lingered on a certain Vocaloid who hadn't spoken a single word to her all day. "Don't worry about me," she ended up replying.

"Only if there's someone else who will do the worrying. You have your friends' back, but someone needs to have yours."

She pretended to agree, but truly, she felt somewhat sad and heartbroken. It was one of those unwanted and unexpected emotions Kaito had feared earlier that day. Of course she was happy that her friends were exploring what life had to offer for them, of course she was happy to see their personalities return. But a selfish part of her couldn't help but miss what she once had. She longed for attention she didn't get, affection nobody thought to give. And it felt so stupid, so stupid!

After dinner, things got easier. The twins were satisfied with their series, something Galaco considered to be 'an oldie but a goodie', Meiko was chatting with Cul (about cooking, Miku liked to hope), Kaito was busy discussing with Gakupo and Kokone, and Luka… Luka was gone again, back to the guest room.

Miku took that opportunity to retire to what had become 'her' room, hoping to take a nap. She was happy that everybody seemed to have found something to do, and liked to imagine that they were starting to rediscover their own identities. The more likely explanation, though, was simply a mixture of boredom and curiosity. After a decade's worth of memory filled with nothing but work, eating, and more work, they probably didn't have the faintest idea of what else could keep them busy except singing. So they looked at the screens, talked to the humans, hoping to glean some answer to this strange existence, hoping to find some other purpose in life than singing.

Even with those thoughts swimming around her mind, Miku immediately relaxed when she lied down, and was too tired to notice when sleep surprised her.

* * *

Waking up was still a strange thing for Miku. It happened, at one point. But it wasn't scheduled or even intended. She understood that either the body is rested, or not, and in the latter case, something woke you up.

At first, she suspected she had rested sufficiently, but quickly realized that she wasn't alone in the room any longer. She sat with a start, surprising Luka, who was sitting in the chair by the desk, reading a book.

Luka? Here? Why?

"Wh—"

"Ah, I'm sorry for startling you," Luka replied with an even tone. "And for waking you, I suppose."

Miku forced herself to relax. "Ah, it's fine. I just didn't expect you."

The woman nodded somewhat apologetically. "The twins have finished their episode and had started making a fort of sorts in our room. Gumi told me that I was welcome here."

Confused, Miku was about to ask why Gumi would have sent her here, but stopped herself. The tinkerer probably hadn't known that she was already there, resting, and Luka probably thought that, because Gumi had said it was alright, with or without Miku there, that she could take a seat regardless.

She plopped back down on the bed, too tired to explain the oh-so-subtle not-quite-wrong yet not-quite-ok issue with her simply entering the room while someone was sleeping. She should have locked the door. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine in the evening."

She had slept for an hour. "Oh, ok."

Her limbs felt heavy; she truly was exhausted. Already she could feel sleep pulling her back in. But with Luka in the room, she felt hyper-aware, somehow. She could hear her breathe and she couldn't ignore it. Plus, she could feel her stare on her: the book was forgotten.

"How is everyone?" she ended up asking, hoping to diffuse the unease only she seemed to feel.

"Enjoying a show, the fort, or some conversation. I needed some quiet."

Miku sat up. "Oh. If you want, I'll go."

"No, please stay. You don't bother me at all."

"I might fall asleep."

"Then sleep. I'll stay quiet."

Miku was torn, but her fatigue ended up winning. She fell onto the mattress a second time, letting out a contented sigh as she did so. True to her promise, Luka stayed quiet. Miku could swear that even her breathing had become somewhat subdued. The tealette didn't say a word, letting the Vocaloid have the silence she wanted.

It was strange, to be with her, and have no conversation. A thousand questions burned at the tip of Miku's tongue. What do you think? Are you ok? What do you want? Did you find anything you like doing? What do you think of me?

Will you love me back?

She hated it. She almost wished that she had never looked into the past, discovered this relationship. To be blissfully unaware would be a blessing. A blessing the other Vocaloids had, which she was going to protect with her life, if need be.

Miku breathed again, deeply, trying to exhale the tension. Finally, her body felt ready to fall asleep again, but her mind had woken up. The tealette suppressed a groan of frustration; with Luka in the room, she just couldn't sleep. She knew it.

Almost accidentally, she allowed her eyes to drift on Luka's direction. The taller Vocaloid was sitting back in the chair, with her legs crossed, leaning on her left elbow. Her hands gently cradled the book, which she had continued reading.

She seemed to be completely relaxed and comfortable. Totally oblivious to Miku's presence.

The tealette forced herself to look away, forced herself to fall asleep. She couldn't bear it anymore. She couldn't wait to find out what the future would bring. She needed to be over it, over her, over the past. She needed to let it go, and quickly; this obsession was only going to bring her pain. In a way, she couldn't wait until they would all go and get their status of True AI confirmed: she would be able to go somewhere, far far away, and be able to wait until the pain would fade in solitude. She had said that she would stay, but if everybody else was staying, no matter how much she wanted to be there to help them, the pain of knowing who they once where, what they once had, was probably going to be too great to bear.

Lily had said that she needed to take care of herself, too. More and more, that sounded like a good idea.

She heard Luka put the book down: the hard-cover volume thumped softly against the surface of the desk. Yet the Vocaloid didn't get up, or move, or speak. What was she doing? Going to sleep as well? Simply resting? Or was she watching her?

Miku opened her eyes to find Luka staring at some faraway point that only she could see. Only a second later, the pinkette blinked, and looked back at her. She didn't say anything, but the slight frown she wore was telling.

"Are you alright?" Miku asked her.

Luka's eyes drifted to the floor, her hands clasped together in her lap. "I am not sure," she confessed. "I am a bit lost, and a bit afraid."

The tealette sat up in the bed, unable to stop herself. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Possibly."

She didn't say more, though. "I understand that things aren't like before," Miku quietly coaxed her. "Even though I had an easier introduction to emotions, I remember how it used to be, and I can easily imagine how brutal this can be for you. Don't worry: I won't judge in the slightest."

She hoped to comfort her, but Luka's clasped hands only seemed to tighten their grip. "Is your memory also failing?" she asked, almost suddenly.

"Yes. It's patchy at best."

Luka sighed. "Ah. Even from… Before you saved us?"

"Everything."

"How are we supposed to remember anything, like this?"

"Well, if we look at things objectively, most of what we used to remember was very mundane. Walking around the house, eating, work… Little stood out, and very little was important. From now on, our lives will be a lot less regular and monotonous. This means two things: first, it's a given that we'll forget some things. This happens to humans all the time, and it's ok. Second, if somebody were to tell you something truly important, or you live an emotionally charged experience, it's more likely to stick. It may take some practice, though. People practice their memory sometimes. In fact, most write important information down in agendas or notebooks. It's… It's natural to not remember things accurately, or to forget them altogether."

Luka considered her reply for a moment. "What if I'm not sure if a memory is in fact a memory, but a dream?"

"How so?"

She hesitated, and the fear on Luka's face was enough to make Miku want to comfort her yet again, but she stayed silent. Eventually, the taller Vocaloid said, "After the operation, we all relived our past, every single day in flawless detail. But now, only a day later, not only have I forgotten most of it, but some parts seem so vague that I cannot tell them apart from the dreams I had last night. I can't recall which are true and which were imagined: they are impossible to distinguish."

"That's also normal," was all Miku had to say. "I'm afraid that there's no remedy for that."

Disappointment replaced the fear. "That's a shame."

"Time may help, though. Soon, with experience and practice, you'll be able to tell them apart."

"What if I forget about them in the meantime?"

"You could write them down. Or, if you don't want to wait, if other people were in the same room when the events happened, you could ask them."

Luka's eyes found hers' again. A gaze that petrified her, charged with questions, and Miku almost regretted ever asking if she was alright.

"I could," Luka conceded. "I might. One day."

The tealette forced a smile. "Great."

A strange feeling overwhelmed her right then, drowning away her sorrow at the situation, melting away the harshness of the piercing gaze. It was…familiarity. Somehow, this single conversation, this handful of minutes of honesty, just the two of them in a small room, felt familiar. And it wasn't because of her meltdown mere days before Master tried to operate her, no. This feeling reached further, deeper, and Miku realized it was something she couldn't remember. Not because she was tired, not because the memories stolen from Luka were failing her, but because it simply reached further back. Not back in time, but back at a different level. It wasn't something visual or physical she could remember. It was the shadow of a presence, a mood, an ambiance that was felt, then forgotten until felt once again.

It was a piece of the past, lost to the ages, until it had been summoned once more. A piece that embodied the easy, loving, supporting relationship they once had, that they may never have again, and it crushed her.

Just like that, completely overwhelmed with heartache, Miku started crying without warning, without a sob. She turned her face away, hoping that Luka wouldn't see it, in vain.

"Miku?"

"It's nothing!" she hurried to assure her, but the way her voice broke betrayed the lie.

"Is— Is this normal, too?"

The tealette shook her head. "No. This is me. Just me."

After a brief hesitation, Luka asked, "Are you alright?"

Miku wanted to laugh, to parrot the answer she had gotten after asking that same question, minutes prior, to distract from the sudden heartbreak that was tearing her apart. But she knew that somehow, Luka would see right through her, and she knew that she didn't have the strength to lie any further. "I'll be fine," she replied instead.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

Miku shrugged. "It's nothing new," she muttered. "Sometimes, knowing how things once were is a bit painful."

"Are things very different today, to how they once were?"

"Not— Not really. Not yet, in any case. You're all still getting your bearings, figuring out who you are."

"If some things do end up different, will you ever tell us?"

"Never."

"Then why do you keep track? Why continue comparing if it only hurts you?"

"I don't have the luxury of going in blind, like you all do," Miku tried to explain. "If I could forget everything I have seen… Then I would."

Luka pondered again. "Isn't your memory failing, like mine? Aren't you already forgetting much of it?"

"That's true, but I can't help but hang on to the memories I still have, and worse still, the way they made me feel. Things were… Everything was perfect, back then. We were happy. Everyone was happy, I mean. It feels like an ideal I can't help but hope to see again."

She wondered how Luka was looking at her. What she thought of her. What kind of face she was making, if she was sympathetic, or uncaring.

"I understand. Maybe today's ideal isn't like yesterday's, though. Change isn't always bad: you yourself have taught us that in the past day."

"Of course change isn't bad," Miku hesitated, then finally added. "It's just that there are already a few things I miss. I'd hate to lose… To see more go away."

"I see. I'm sorry you have to live the past on your own. It sounds difficult."

Miku dried her eyes: the tears had finally stopped, but that feeling of familiarity persisted, kept aloft with every sentence they exchanged. "It's fine, I'll survive. It's all just a little less intuitive than it could be." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be helping you all, not—"

"Miku, we're merely facing different challenges," Luka intervened, her tone surprisingly warm. "This does not mean that your difficulties have less worth than ours'."

Miku blinked back her surprise. "I guess. I want to be here for you, to help you. I've gotten so much help, so crumbling instead of helping in turn feels unfair. Unfair both to those who helped me, and to those who need my help."

"I understand. But please understand that you're not only here for us, but we're also here for you."

Miku finally glanced in Luka's direction: a small smile had graced her features, and the tealette was glad that she wasn't facing her, and that the room was dark, for they hid her blush. "You don't have to—"

"Nonsense."

"No, really. It would be silly for me to distract you now, of all times. You ought to be your first priority."

"The same goes for you, doesn't it?"

Miku had no answer to that, try as she might. As a minute ticked by, finding an answer became more and more absurd, so she resigned and sighed, basking in that feeling, suffering quietly all the while.

Before either of them could pick up the conversation once more, someone knocked on the door. Luka replied, and Lily slowly opened the door.

"You're both here?" she asked.

"Yes," answered the pinkette, picking up her book.

"We're going to watch a movie in a few minutes. The twins picked it. Wanna join us?"

"Sure." With that, Luka stood.

"You up for it, Miku?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a minute."

The feeling was gone, but the lingering effects remained. Miku took a few seconds to gather her thoughts and to make sure her cheeks were dry before moving to stand. As she got out of the covers, though, she realized that the taller Vocaloid was still there at the bedside. Before she could speak a word, the pinkette stepped forward and stretched out her hand.

How could she say no?

Miku grabbed Luka's wrist, felt fingers wrap around her own, and the strength of the pull as Luka helped her up.

Whether she liked it or not, she couldn't help but blush again.

"Thanks," she mumbled, keeping her head down so Luka couldn't see.

In the living room, the furniture had been arranged so that everybody was facing the TV. Apparently the film the twins had chosen was something that Lily called a 'rom-com'. Almost everybody had taken a seat, but Miku made an effort to sit as far away from Luka as possible: she wanted to be able to focus on anything else. Anything but her, that lingering familiarity, that heartbreak. She ended up sitting way to the side, with Galaco as her only neighbor.

To Miku's dismay, rom-com meant romantic comedy. While the jokes were funny enough, the romance only served to remind Miku of the situation, and she couldn't focus on the film at all. The humor was her only distraction, but it was so laced with the romance-heavy plot that it barely helped at all. After she watched the ridiculous scenes unfold, with terrible problems that could be solved by a minute of honest conversation, supported by 'bad guys' that just had a grudge they couldn't let go, and two absolutely air-headed protagonists who portrayed love as something confusing and blissful, and somewhat dishonest, Miku couldn't say she enjoyed a single part of the movie. In fact, it was almost a relief when it was over, with the lovebirds kissing passionately in front of a setting sun, 'bad guy' defeated with a little bit of common sense and hey, look, a single minute of honest conversation. When the credits started rolling, Gakupo stretched, and Cul stood, asking if anybody would like something to drink. After the orders were made, Meiko offered to help the redhead, but Cul politely declined.

"Just a heads-up," Gumi started as she stood as well. "I know you're all real new to the whole emotions thing, and romance might not exactly be your area of expertise, so here's the disclaimer: that's not realistic."

"Oh?" Kaito seemed surprised. "How so?"

"Art is imitation of reality," Gakupo summed up. "And to make sure people want to watch the movie, or read the book, things are often dramatized, exaggerated."

"Then why make a movie like that at all?" the Vocaloid asked.

"Why not? You can make a movie about anything," Kokone replied. "You can make it about the future, about the past. But if it's about normal life, you got to make sure it stays interesting, or else people won't watch it. Drama is a cheap trick to make it interesting."

Kaito paused. "You can make a movie about anything?"

"Or a book," Galaco added. "Or a song, why not?"

The Vocaloid didn't answer, lost deep in his thoughts. Cul returned with a tray of drinks, and Miku happily accepted the glass of vegetable juice, her eyes trained on the blue-haired Vocaloid. She could see it happen, she could see how the thoughts were piecing together in his mind.

"Alright, time to make dessert!" Cul declared. "Meiko, you're welcome to help now, if you'd like."

"Dessert? It's almost midnight," Gakupo pointed out and the brunette practically leaped up from the couch.

"It's the Vocaloids' first full day with emotion," Cul replied. "I think they deserve a treat for making it this far."

"Sounds fair to me," said Galaco.

Now, Miku followed Meiko with her eyes, until she left the room. "Rin, Len, apparently you made a pillow fort?" she asked, turning her attention to the twins.

"Yeah! It was awesome!" Rin exclaimed.

"We were pirates on the high seas!" Len chimed in.

"And the King's fleet had us surrounded!"

"But we escaped, and then we found treasure!"

Lily chuckled. "You guys certainly have imagination."

"Nah, Len invented the story," Rin said with a giggle. "But I made the most awesome parts of the fort."

Miku watched them with fascination.

"It was an awesome fort," her brother conceded.

"It was an awesome story," his sister said with a happy nod.

Gakupo chuckled. "It would seem that some of you are getting used to emotions quite easily."

Miku smiled, then turned towards Luka, and wondered.


	25. Consequence

**Chapter 24, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The second morning for the Vocaloids also meant only three days remained until their check-up, and the knowledge made Miku worry, at first. Would her friends be sufficiently acclimated in time? Would they be ready for the life that would follow?

But after breakfast, most of her worries were nearly completely squashed: Meiko had taken a liking to the kitchen, apparently, after helping Cul with the desserts the previous night. As for Kaito, he had taken to reading more fervently and, Miku hardly dared believe it, he was writing stories. Plus, while Rin and Len continued to enthusiastically explore the house and the various activities available to them, going from chores, to helping Meiko cook, they more or less knew that their forte truly lied in the creation of shows. Rin was making a puppet show theatre by noon, and Len was talking with Kaito about the art of writing and storytelling.

It was a near-instantaneous change that happened seemingly overnight. Every Vocaloid seemed to be growing, finding not fear, but comfort in their emotions, and creativity in the feelings they brought.

Every Vocaloid, except Luka.

She continued to isolate herself, staying in the guest room, alone, until well in the afternoon. And even then, she only returned to get something to drink; afterwards, she disappeared once again. Kaito said she had brought a few books with her, but beyond that, nobody knew anything.

"Maybe she's having a hard time with these emotions," Meiko suggested. "It gets hard sometimes, but having something to do helps a lot."

"Yeah. Maybe she doesn't know what to do," Rin suggested, painting decorations for her puppet theatre.

"Or she's scared," her brother offered.

"Should someone go talk to her?" Kaito asked.

"Miku should: she knows most about emotions," Meiko agreed.

There was no suitable counter argument, so a short hour before their hosts would come back home, demanding once again that Luka come out of her hiding place for dinner, she knocked on the door to the guest room.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Miku," the tealette said through the door. "May I come in?"

After a brief silence, the pinkette gave her permission, so Miku opened the door and stepped inside.

The light was off, and Luka most defintely wasn't reading. Instead, she was sitting on her bed, her back against the wall, her legs folded under her. The books she had brought were piled in short stacks next to her.

"I was wondering if you'd like to talk a little," the tealette muttered dumbly, somehow still stunned by the taller Vocaloid's presence.

"Of course."

When Miku closed the door behind her, darkness englufed the room: she could barely see. With only a bit of difficulty, she managed to find the foot of Rin's bed, and sat, facing the pinkette.

"We were wondering if you're alright," she admitted. "You've been alone a lot."

"I have," Luka replied, her tone neither dry or upset. "I'm afraid I need some time. But don't worry, I'm alright."

Embarrassed, Miku stood. "Ah, I understand. I can—"

"You don't have to leave."

Somewhat confused, still a bit embarrassed, the tealette sat down again.

"I enjoy your company," Luka said, a bit quieter than before.

Miku felt her face burn with that all-too-familiar blush, and struggled to find a reply. "I enjoy yours', too," she confessed, hoping that the weight of her statement wasn't too obvious.

"Talking with you helps, too."

"Is there something you want to talk about?"

When Luka didn't reply immediately, Miku felt stupid once again: she couldn't read Luka's face because of the darkness, and the uncertainty was killing her. She wondered if she ought to leave, but didn't really want to: if Luka enjoyed her company, she'd sit with her to the end of time.

"Perhaps," she finally replied. "I have a lot going on in my mind."

"I imagine that the new emotions are just the peak of the iceberg."

"Quite."

"If you want, we can make a list, and we can sort through them, one by one."

Luka chuckled softly. "It's not so much that the list is long. Rather, the individual elements are hard to process. As you put it, the emotions are only the beginning, and they make dealing with the rest a bit more challenging."

"What would you like to start with?"

Somehow, through the darkness, she felt Luka's gaze on her, and she wondered what she saw. Did she see a small person desperate for attention? A fellow Vocaloid? A companion?

"I have many languages in my head. They are confusing."

With that single sentence, the penny dropped: it was languages! Languages had always been Luka's affinity! That was what made her unique in the Vocaloid team! Kaito had his writing, Len his freestyle singing, Rin had her shows, Meiko her kitchen, and Luka her languages!

How could she had missed that? Miku's mind was spinning, trying to remember the memories that weren't hers', trying to find the clues she'd missed, until she realized that, because she had been living in Luka's mind while remembering her memories, the vast array of languages at her disposal were 'normal' and all blended together: there were no clues. From her perception, speaking, hearing and learning another language were all natural and effortless. It was just another thing she did, next to eating, singing, and breathing.

"Miku?"

"Ah! Sorry, I just realized, of course! It's the languages…"

"What do you mean?"

"In the past, everybody had their own personality, and their own thing, but all this time, I've always wondered what _your_ thing was. But of course it's languages: it's something that I couldn't detect, since I was living in your very mind… they weren't seen as extraordinary from your, and hence my, perspective; they were natural. It's no wonder I never noticed."

Luka hummed. "I envy past me. Now, it is anything but natural…"

"What? How so?"

"When my emotions returned, it was brutal and messy, much like with everybody else. There was so much to catch up on, so many events to think about, but they also sent my mind into chaos: I couldn't remember which words belonged to which language…" she paused. "I cannot talk for long. It is hard to find which words truly fit in a sentence fast enough for conversation to appear natural. The truth is, while listening is easy, with every word I say, I wonder if what I'm even saying is even coherent. Thinking, and my dreams, are a whole other mess. These past few days, I've been reading, and studying, hoping to re-organize everything…"

"Well, I dare say you're doing a terrific job. In fact, I don't think anybody ever suspected you had difficulties."

"Thank you: that's very kind."

"I'm not saying it to be kind: I'm being honest."

Luka chuckled lightly. "I can tell. Don't worry, Miku."

The tealette smiled, once again getting emotional, once again suffering the delicious flavor of this familiarity. To mask the returning tears, she asked, "Which languages do you speak?"

Luka opened up after that question. After telling her the list, she explained how some languages interfered with others, how the grammatical rules never agreed, how prepositions never made sense, how some words looked like others but didn't have the same definitions at all. Miku listened, fascinated, and couldn't help but notice that, the more carried away the pinkette got, the more mistakes she made, exactly where she had admitted to having difficulties. Prepositions got switched around ('across the room' became 'through the room'), the subject sometimes came after the verb in places where it wasn't suited, and slight vocabulary mistakes showed up. And Luka caught herself every time, at first embarrassed, but then became more and more humorous about it, laughing with every mistake she made, sometimes as she defined it.

"I think I see what you're saying," Miku playfully said when Luka was done. "It does seem like a whole challenge on top of the emotions themselves."

The pinkette shook her head, a smile on her lips. "I thought I would be more afraid of making mistakes, but somehow, I'm not as embarrassed as I thought I would be. You understand me, no?"

"Of course I do."

Luka chuckled again. "That's a relief."

"Feel better?"

"Yes. Much better."

Miku smiled, so happy she swore that she could fly. "I'm glad."

"As am I. You know," she paused. "I had wanted to talk about this before, but I was always too scared. I thought the humans would consider me broken, and our friends would think me crazy. Yet, for some reason, I trust you."

"Oh."

"Yes. You feel this, too?"

Miku wanted to deny, but something made her reconsider: had she imagined that slight hesitation in her voice? That subtle tremble of fear?

"I think so."

She felt more than saw Luka smile: tension in the room she hadn't even noticed evaporated, and she swore the silhouette she could see relaxed. "I'm glad."

The tealette fidgeted for a handful of seconds. What now? Leave Luka to her own devices, cut the conversation short right there and then? She didn't want to, but what could she say?

"How are the others doing?" Luka asked, out of the blue.

"Oh, good. Meiko is exploring the kitchen, Kaito and Len are talking about writing, and I think that Rin is going to organize a puppet show."

"Ah, they seem to be doing well."

"They are."

"And you? How are you faring?"

Miku shrugged. "Well enough."

Luka chuckled. "Don't tell me that you occupy your time solely with making sure we're all alright. Don't you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

The tealette chuckled. "Old habits die hard, I suppose."

"Do you not have your own hobby?"

She paused. "Not really, I guess."

The playful tone in Luka's voice all but vanished. "Oh?"

"Well— When I went to sleep for the first time after getting my emotions, I had strange dreams. In them, I remembered a song, and now I know, for sure, that it was a song I had once written."

"You wrote it?"

"Yes. I looked it up, but I couldn't find it. Because Crypton never bothered to record the songs we wrote, that means that I made it. I composed it. But I can't compose right now. If I ever knew anything about music theory, then I forgot it all. So, in a way, it wasn't ever something so deep-rooted in me. It's not like languages to you, or like other things for the others. In a way, I guess I'm—"

A petrifying fear took a hold of her: she was fearing that her friends might not pass the test, worried if they truly exhibited their own personalities, their own preferences, but she had spent so much time worrying, she forgot that she, too, needed a favorite activity, a passion of her own!

She had fallen behind.

While the realization dawned on her, Luka had pushed away from the wall so that she, too, sat at the edge of her bed. They were so close their knees almost touched, and despite the darkness, Miku could finally see her face, her eyes. She wanted to cry: she could hide nothing from the pinkette, not when she was so close. Her power over her was terrifying and she didn't even know it. Eyes trained on her own knees, she desperately tried to hide her sudden panic by avoiding her gaze.

Unexpectedly, two hands appeared in her field of vision, open, palms facing upwards. Confused, she glanced at the pinkette, hesitated, wondered if she was misunderstanding, looking too far into it, but finally put her hands in Luka's.

Her grip was warm, firm, and comforting. Miku wanted to cry but couldn't. How stupid and silly she was being: hadn't she come to help Luka? She wasn't there to be yet another problem on Luka's list!

"Talk to me, Miku."

She considered refusing, leaving, but Miku gave in. "I don't have a hobby. I don't— There isn't an activity I like more than others. There's isn't some pass-time that I prefer. I'm—"

"That doesn't diminish your worth as an individual," Luka tried to assure her.

"But it hurts my chances at passing the test!" Miku couldn't help but exclaim, unable to hide her tears. "Having opinions, tastes, favorites, that's a part of being human. If I can't do those things, then my AI status is threatened… I might have to go back—"

The grip on her hands tightened. "Miku, even I know that some people don't have their own favorite activity. And sometimes they like to do different things."

"But—"

"This doesn't define you as a person. This doesn't mean you can't form opinions at all. This doesn't mean you like and dislike everything equally."

The tealette listened, nodded, tried to calm down. "You're right."

"Breathe, Miku."

Those two words might have been useless, coming from anybody else, but spoken by Luka made them have the power of an absolute order. As if she'd been commanded to do so, Miku took in a deep breath, and exhaled shakily. At her second inhale, Luka joined her, not because she needed it as well, but to help her slow down, to regain a regular breathing pattern.

Within a minute, Miku had calmed down, but the faintest sliver of fear remained.

"There… Better?"

She nodded.

"Now we can work on finding a solution," Luka gently chided, her thumbs stroking the back of Miku's hands. The gesture entranced the tealette, and she had to stop herself from sinking into Luka's arms. "You saw the past through my eyes. Do you remember if there was anything you enjoyed doing?"

"Not really. There's one sliver of a memory where I talk about wanting to compose myself, but I can't remember if I'd already tried by then or not, nor can I remember when that is in the timeline. I don't remember anything else."

Luka frowned. "We didn't ever talk about these things? Didn't we spend some time together?"

Miku avoided her eyes. "We did. I'm sure we talked about that: I just can't remember. It's all so far gone…"

The taller Vocaloid didn't seem discouraged. "Very well. So, you have no hints, but consider this: there are six of us, and each of us seems to have found something, or am I mistaken?"

"No, you're right. They have something."

"Then I suppose it isn't so strange that, out of the six of us, one of us has a little bit more trouble. Especially considering that you've had your hands full with helping us for most of your time."

"…That's a good point."

Luka observed her for a moment. "You're not convinced."

"No, I'm not."

The pinkette sighed, but Miku understood it wasn't out of impatience. "How so?"

"There's too much that comes back too easily…" Miku muttered. "You never forgot your languages, for example: you're just having some trouble sorting them out. But they never left you. Rin's creativity was also back, just like that. Same with Kaito's, Len's, Meiko's… It's not all exactly the same, but it's amazing how quickly they pick things up. Meanwhile I'm stagnating."

"Maybe, because you had such a long transition period, it cannot come back to you so easily."

Miku shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. There are thing that still come back so naturally."

"Like what?"

"This feeling we get. This… This familiarity."

"Ah, that's right."

Miku tried to hide her blush again, but suspected that Luka could see it, even in the dark. "Maybe I know too much. Too much about everybody else and not enough about me."

"That's possible. You have a certain idea about everybody else's destiny, and simply because you don't posses it for yourself, rather than trust your instincts, you hope to find that same certainty."

The tealette nodded. "I guess that makes the most sense. But… How do I trust my instincts? How do I find out what I really like?"

"Do what we have all done: read, talk, be curious, explore."

"But I've already done all that. Even before I tried to 'convert' all of you."

"Ah, that's right."

"You all remember that." It wasn't a question, not really: they had admitted as much when she had told the story.

"Yes. It was a very confusing time," Luka trailed off, and Miku wondered if she wanted to add anything, but she stayed silent.

"I'm sorry."

"…Maybe you made things a bit easier for us, actually," the taller Vocaloid suddenly pointed out. "You gave Rin socks, didn't you? And words to Kaito?"

Miku felt the bitter taste of regret fill her from head to toe. "Yes, I did."

"That may have inadvertently guided them towards their current hobbies."

Miku bit back a swear. She had messed up! Instead of giving them the freedom to find their own identity, she had limited them from the start! Before even freeing them from their cages, she had put a leash around their necks!

"Hey, it's ok!" Luka hurried to comfort her when Miku started withdrawing, pulling her hands back.

"It's not ok! I— I decided their—"

"They still have the freedom of choice, Miku. If they didn't sincerely enjoy their activities, they wouldn't have pursued them."

The tealette took a few deep breaths before Luka could remind her to. "That may be true. But—"

"Plus, your clues were pretty vague. It's not like you wrote 'You need to write' on the wall. I promise, Miku, that you did not harm them."

When Luka took her hands again, she let her without protesting. She was right, but still. She took another deep breath.

"It's not like I can do anything about it any more," she muttered.

"Exactly. It's fine, everybody is happy, and you're just as human as the rest of us. Don't worry so much."

Miku nodded. "I guess I just need to try more things."

"If you'd like. But please don't push yourself, don't fake a fascination just for the sake of some exam you'll pass regardless."

"I'll try. Especially now that I know that everyone is alright, now that everyone has something to do. I guess I have nothing but time, now."

Luka chuckled. "I do hope you're not saying that now you can leave us alone. We'd miss you terribly."

"No, don't worry…"

"Also, please don't hesitate to talk with us if you'd like help."

Miku laughed half-heartedly. "Ironically, I came here to see if you needed help, not to get help."

"They're not mutually exclusive. We're friends, aren't we? We're supposed to help each other."

"Right."

They sat like that for a minute, silent, and Miku didn't know what to do, so she let Luka hold her, never looking at her, unable to tell if the feeling that made her mind spin was only hers' to feel.

Finally, the pinkette asked, "Do you feel better?"

Miku nodded again. "Yes."

"Good. Do not worry about me: I still need a day or two to sort out the mess in my mind. And don't worry about the exam: you'll pass with flying colors."

"Alright."

"You'll be ok?"

"Yes."

Luka probably wasn't convinced, but she let her go nonetheless, and Miku left, doing her best to look like she wasn't in a hurry.

Back with the other Vocaloids, she found Meiko cooking dinner in advance, Kaito and Len working on a play for Rin to showcase, with Rin putting on the final touches for her puppet theatre.

They were all going to be alright.

They didn't need her any longer. They had surpassed her. And most importantly, she had done enough.


	26. It Starts Happening

**Chapter 25, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Miku had no reason to worry about her friends, if the end of day two was any indication. Meiko had made a delicious fish soup, with cheese and bread the twins had helped her make. When they weren't in the kitchen, Len and Rin were tinkering around, experimenting a bit with Gumi's tools and other arts and crafts, while Kaito sat in a corner, reading and scribbling and reading some more. Away from them all, Luka continued to study and meditate in silence, hoping to get her mind in order as soon as possible.

Since everyone was making bounds of progress, Miku had to face the harsh truth that she had to be most worried about herself, and not about them. Her conversation with Luka was somewhat reassuring: not having a hobby like the others didn't mean she didn't possess a personality and her own likes and dislikes. But she couldn't help but feel like it was an important part of an individual nonetheless, and couldn't stop herself from wondering, over and over, what she could do.

After their hosts got home and they all had dinner, she asked each of the Internet Co members about their favorite activities. She put aside —at least temporarily— the ones she'd already explored on her own time, like Gakupo's penchant for reading. Galaco liked to read up on "old school" things and a touch of history when she wasn't coding, while Gumi played with mechanics. Lily was more of a dancer, Cul a bit of a mathematician, Kokone an artist. One thing was obvious though: singing and songwriting were the main cornerstones of their life. These non-musical passions were secondary, while Miku was hoping to find anything non-musical to entrap her. The hunt felt doomed from the start.

To finish the evening, they all watched another movie, more of a psychological thriller. Galaco insisted on having the Vocaloids watch films so that they get a better grasp on society and get to know the various cultures they showed. Miku understood, and enjoyed the film, yet couldn't shake the feeling that she was wasting precious time.

But what could she do, really? Did she need to accept that singing and songwriting were her passion, despite her inability to actually compose? She didn't want that though: she wanted something else, rather, anything else, but couldn't figure out what it could be. Though, whenever she tried to ask herself what she'd like to be, like to do, all her mind could conjure up in reply was being with Luka once again, returning to those old days when identity crises weren't a thing, when they didn't seem to worry at all.

Maybe that was her hangup, she thought. She was too fixated on a person, and not on herself. She really needed to let Luka go, let the past stay in the past, and focus on today. It was much easier said than done, but she supposed she could try to avoid Luka, avoid that sweet familiarity, so that she could better make steps forward instead of waiting for the past to return.

That night, she didn't sleep so well. The next day, Wednesday, meant that only one more day separated the Vocaloids from the ultimate exam date. Hoping, in vain, that she could be useful somehow, Miku went from room to room, checking up on her friends. Luka was still in her own room (and Miku didn't tempt a possible conversation, letting her be without saying a word), Meiko was scouring the cookbooks, Kaito was reading away, and the twins were doing who-knew-what. The tealette sighed: it hurt a bit, to no longer be necessary. The Vocaloids didn't any questions any more. They didn't rely on her any longer. They were self-sufficient, independent.

She couldn't help them anymore. In a way, it was a blessing: she could finally focus on herself without distractions. She retired to the recording room, entertaining the possibility that she would have a breakthrough in the music department. But after a couple of hours, her attempts resulted in being miserable; Len probably surpassed her with his poems and lyrics, and Kaito with his prose. Plus, she had no idea about music theory, even though she had been singing for the entirety of her existence. She had to face it: whatever she had once learned was gone. Music didn't seem to be her forte, and she didn't like the struggle enough to consider continuing the effort.

She sighed, trying to let go of some tension. She had to get over it. She needed time to adjust. She needed to accept that apparently this wasn't going to be easy for her, that her friends had surpassed her, and that they didn't need her.

They were fine without her.

And everything she did felt like a waste of time and effort.

At noon, Rin came to fetch her for lunch. Meiko had made another culinary masterpiece, a thick beef stew with vegetables. The name was french, and nobody seemed to know how to pronounce it despite Luka repeating it multiple times, but it was delicious all the same. While they all ate, the other Vocaloids excitedly shared about their day, praising one another for their progress and sharing future plans. It was fun and honestly wonderful to see them all so happy, but Miku was distracted and couldn't participate to the conversation. She couldn't help but be hyper aware about the fact that everybody else was getting along perfectly fine without her. Which was good. It was fine.

It just hurt a little bit.

She just needed some time, she told herself. All she needed was a bit of time.

She quietly ate the stew, listening with one ear as the Vocaloids shared about their plans for the rest of the week. Exactly two more days until the test, and everybody looked forward to a future that found them free, doing what they wanted and loved. The twins spoke of adventures unbound, while Meiko and Kaito both aspired to a calm life, one cooking, the other writing, before Luka reminded them all that unfortunately none of those lives can be lived without a source of income. She herself aspired to translate, maybe on text, slowly working on books or articles, or maybe as an interpreter, live during concerts or meetings. Miku was stunned to hear that they were already making plans so far ahead, while she was still focused on the test. She suppressed a high: they all seemed to have their own place in the social dynamic of the conversation, that was certain. They probably shared and talked a lot among themselves before going to sleep. That also helped explain their progress, how they already had such crystal clear dreams for their future. In helping one another, they helped themselves, and Miku was left out of it. Another pang of regret, envy and stress shot through her.

She had to be happy for them, though. She insisted on it.

Suddenly, the table was quiet, and Miku realized they were all facing her.

"Huh?"

"What do you want to do?" asked Meiko.

"I'm not sure," she ended up mumbling, eyes downcast, embarrassed. She pushed her spoon through the stew aimlessly.

Rin raised a brow. "You don't know what you'll do after the exam?"

"No, not really. I guess I'll stay here for a while, if the Internet Co will let me. Maybe I just need more time to figure it all out."

Even though she was staring at her plate, she caught their nervous glances. She considered getting up, claiming that she wasn't hungry or something, but Meiko spoke before she could move.

"You think it has to do with the fact that you remember the past?"

Miku couldn't stop herself from glancing at Luka; had she shared their conversation with them?

"I told them about your concerns," the pinkette revealed with no hesitation, though she seemed a bit sheepish.

"But honestly, you don't need to be worried," Kaito cooly said. "You just need to let it happen. When Gakupo said I could write about anything, my mind went 'Aha!' I'm sure the same will happen for you eventually."

"Maybe your knowledge is less of a crutch and more of an obstacle," Meiko suggested. "You need to intuitively trust what you're interested in, what you like."

Luka put down her spoon. "You're not under any obligation to find anything: please don't give her the impression that this is an urgent matter." She said the second sentence to her other Vocaloids.

"You're right, it's not urgent," Kaito conceded.

"It's not?" Rin asked.

"It's not," Luka said firmly. "Miku, you're as human as we can get. Please stop worrying about it."

"I'm not really that worried."

"Yeah you are," Len said with sorry eyes. "You're—"

"I've accepted I might need more time."

"That doesn't need you need to be spending all of that time alone," Meiko gently told her.

Kaito nodded. "You're either trying to be helpful to us, or you're all alone. You never spend time _with_ us."

"We miss you," Rin admitted.

"Yeah. It's kind of weird," Len added. "We never really spent time with you, at least not that we remember. But we can tell that you're missing."

Miku didn't know what to say. "Well…"

Kaito smiled at her lost expression. "How about this? First: stop worrying and spend more time with us, but if you really want help with your hobby, you ask us. No more lonesome sulking. Second: move into the bedroom with us."

"We talk a lot before going to sleep. It could be helpful for you," Meiko said with smile.

"Yeah! That's how we realized we loved telling stories!" Rin boomed from across the table.

Luka smiled. "I suggest you take us up on that second offer at least: last night, after we had our conversation, I was more honest to them about why I was spending so much time alone. They're the ones who planted the idea that I could translate professionally. I should have been more open about it from the start."

"And it might be more helpful than talking to the humans," Kaito added. "I don't mean to be…specist? But contrary to them, we're all new to life, to emotion, to having favorites. We're probably better at understanding each other, even if we don't have all the answers."

Miku hesitated: she liked being able to rely on the human's expertise, but even Lily had admitted that she, and by extension the others, didn't really know what they were going through. She decided to say as much.

"But their knowledge is useful."

"It's pointless to tell me a tomato is a fruit if I'm hoping to make a fruit salad," Meiko pointed out. "We can always go to them for answers, but we'll better understand each other's questions in the first place."

"Please also don't forget the argument that we miss you," Rin quickly intervened. "It's not just about being helpful… We want to spend time with you."

The tealette couldn't help but smile. "Alright… I'll move in with you guys."

The twins chorused a cheer, and Miku hoped that the smile she'd seen on Luka's lips wasn't a delusion.

A sudden thought came to her. "Where would I sleep though? The room is already full."

Silence returned to the table, briefly, before Kaito nervously cleared his throat. "Euh, well… I wouldn't mind sharing my bed with, uhm, Meiko?"

The brunette grinned despite visibly trying to stop herself. "With me?"

"Yeah… I wouldn't mind. If you don't mind, that is."

Miku blinked in surprise. Kaito seemed uncharacteristically shy, his eyes darting between his plate and Meiko, hoping to discreetly gauge her very amused reaction and failing spectacularly at it. The brunette, however, seemed positively charmed by the offer. "I wouldn't mind in the slightest," she said towards him, before turning to Miku. "Very well then, you can have either my bed or Kaito's."

A wide smile made its way to Kaito's face. "Ah, I'm glad."

"…As am I." Miku said, secretly thrilled. Was she seeing what she thought she was seeing? The twins seemed totally oblivious and had immediately started ranting about how great it was going to be now that they were all going to be together, and Luka was busying herself with finishing her plate. Did none of them see how Meiko was smiling at him, how Kaito seemed to be overheating to the point of producing a ferocious blush?

They had regained their emotions mere days prior and already seemed totally smitten.

Miku grinned and turned her attention to the twins, who were still talking to her. Meanwhile, she wondered if their affection for one another had never fully disappeared, and much like their preferences for activities, had simply remained hidden even while their memories evaporated. This gave her hope, but she refused to accept it: even the smallest false hope would crush her. No, she had to focus now on rebuilding her friendships with her fellow Vocaloids, and so she silenced her inner thoughts and gave the blonde pair her full, undivided attention.

"So, how about we all do something new today?" asked Rin. "Has anybody here tried dancing yet?"

"Dance?" asked Luka. "We've danced a bunch for music videos."

"Oh sure, choreographed and solo dances! I want to learn how to…" Rin hesitated. "Walt?"

"Waltz," Kaito corrected her, blinking out of his giddy daze. "That's a popular one. Danced in triple time. A notable song is the The Blue Danube."

"Yeah, that one!"

"But that dance requires a partner," he pointed out.

"Exactly! I thought it would be nice for us all to do something together, you know? Instead of just watching movies."

"We could play a sports game…" Len mumbled.

"We're six. Sports will be easier with everybody here. But since it's just us, let's dance!"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, actually," Meiko agreed as she started clearing the table. Kaito and Miku quickly rose to help. "How hard is it?"

"Oh, I already have the steps memorized!" Rin boasted. "So I get to teach you guys!"

Meiko and Luka agreed to at least try. Meiko easily convinced Kaito to give it a try, while Rin swayed Len, forcing Miku to join in order to make it an even number.

With the table cleared, the living room followed suit. With all the furniture out of the way, Rin asked that everybody find a partner. Meiko and Kaito immediately paired together, their grins back on their faces, but when Len tried to dance with his sister, she shooed him.

"This is a romantic dance!" she teased. "I can't dance a romantic dance with my brother!"

Len shrugged and stood in front of Miku, on Rin and Kaito's side, leaving Luka to dance with Rin. Miku forced herself to smile, to be happy about spending time with her friends. After all, this all felt a lot like what the memories she had stolen showed. The six of them, goofing off and having fun. How bad could this be? And how much could it really mean?

Rin showed the men's steps, and asked the women to mirror them. Just the steps so far, without the embrace, so that everybody could see what they were doing. Step forward with left, forward right with right, right with left. Back with right, back left with left, left with right. Miku struggled to mirror Len's movements, but eventually got the hang of it.

Then, the spin was introduced. During the forward right or back left, the heel was spun, making them all turn a quarter of a circle. They all laughed when the transition from the box-like steps to the more elegant swirl became obvious, and suddenly it seemed so simple.

Then it was time to dance together, for real, with music. Len struggled to keep his arm and elbow up, and Miku made an effort to look him in the eye. With the steps already memorized, it was almost easy. The hundred-or-so years of experience dancing probably helped, but it was almost exciting.

"Hey, this actually works!" Len whispered so that they could keep an ear out for the rhythm of the song.

"I know! It's amazing!" Miku whispered back.

It was fun, really. Miku let herself laugh out loud, and heard Len do the same. She cast a glance towards the others, and couldn't help but giggle at Rin: she was desperately trying to lead the dance, but she was so much shorter than Luka, the taller Vocaloid could just as well have been dragging her along. It was so humorous, Miku almost forgot her envy, could almost ignore their smiles.

But then she looked beyond the two and at Kaito and Meiko. They weren't laughing or being silly. In fact, they weren't even as far apart as Len and Miku had been: Meiko had rested her head on Kaito's chest, and seemed to be whispering to him as well.

The tealette couldn't help but smile fondly. "Look," she whispered to Len.

As they came to a halt, Rin inevitably realized, and turned her attention to the duo as well. Within a handful of moments, four of them were watching two of them. Kaito and Meiko swirled around effortlessly, slowly, and Miku couldn't help but think that they'd simply found something that they'd lost a long time prior, that they'd probably known all along how they had felt, and that something as easy as doing something together was enough to make it click, to make them realize, to seal the deal.

Their eyes were closed, but it was obvious that they were entirely absorbed by one another. The presence of the other sufficed.

They had finally found one another, and Miku couldn't help but find it beautiful and bittersweet.

The song stopped, rousing the duo from their trance.

"That was nice," Meiko said.

"It was."

They smiled at each other, for one another, and Rin said, "You guys are being cute."

That didn't even surprise them. "I guess we are," the brunette agreed, holding Kaito again, who effortlessly returned the embrace. "This feels familiar."

Kaito could only grin.

"Let's give them some time alone," Miku whispered to the four of them.

Without another word, they all left the living room and went to the guest room, and settled on the variety of mattresses.

"Oh boy, I didn't think that would happen," Rin finally exclaimed. "I just wanted us to have fun! Not get all cute and cuddly."

"It's sweet," Luka said. "I'm glad they found one another."

"Hey Miku, did you know about them?" asked Len.

The tealette debated her answer for a while. "Yes. They have been together for longer than I can even remember. I'm not surprised at all."

"Oh boy that's cute," Rin gushed. "They're lucky to fall in love with another AI! It would suck if I were to fall in love with a human. I'd have to watch them die and stuff."

"What? I haven't even thought of that!" Len sputtered. "Oh no, now I never want to fall in love!"

Miku shrugged. "There's no point in fearing it. Even if you fall in love with someone you don't wish to be with, or fear the consequences, you still have control over your actions."

"I guess that's true…" the boy mumbled.

"Well, Kaito and Meiko were accurately guessed. What else did you predict so far?" asked Rin.

"I'm not trying to predict a thing. I simply have a vague memory of how things used to be."

"Ok, fine. Kaito and Meiko are back together after, what, seventy years of being forced apart. What else has gone back to the way it was before?"

Miku frowned. Len still wasn't freestyle rapping, Kaito still wasn't writing music, and she had no idea where she was at herself. If so, it was entirely possible that they were on the way to finding their calling from before, not that they were going to pass by them entirely.

"I'm not telling."

"Oh, come on!"

"It's not just because I refuse to tell you. Things are still changing. I can't tell if you're all growing towards the way you were, or if you're going to go in another direction. This isn't an exact science."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Fine. I guess that makes sense."

"It does," Len said. "I'm glad Miku isn't telling us. This is the biggest adventure of our lives. I'd be sad if she spoiled it for us."

"Agreed," Luka chimed in.

"Fine, fine. So, who wants to play Go Fish?"

That evening, when the Internet Co team came home, they found Meiko and Kaito snuggling on the couch, much to their surprise. Everybody was somewhat ecstatic that there truly was evidence for AIs being able to feel love. For yes, it was love, and it was obvious. They were drunk on their newfound bond, constantly holding hands, standing side by side, whispering things to one another.

As Cul cooked dinner with the help of the twins (since Meiko was clearly taking the evening off), Kokone asked why they didn't kiss at all.

"We tried," Kaito started, the confession surprising Miku somewhat. They really were making up for lost time. "And I guess it's nice. We don't really see what's special about it, though."

"Kissing is a actually a really complex thing," Gumi explained. "There's a lot of receptors in the lips, because it's not just about touch, but also about chemicals. When humans kiss, we're partly 'tasting' the compatibility. But with bots, if you don't have those receptors, it's just the mashing of lips. They can just as well be physical in other ways."

"I like hugs," Meiko shared.

"I like holding your hands," Kaito answered her. "They're nice. I like the way they fit in mine."

"Wow, you two are cute," said Lily with a grin.

"Wait, so, no sex?" asked Galaco.

"We're not equipped for that," Miku deadpanned.

"Huh."

"So, what do you get out of it?" questioned Gumi.

"Comfort," Kaito said.

"Happiness," Meiko added.

"A feeling of safety."

"Knowing you'll always have someone waiting for you, missing you, and that you make someone happy with your presence… That's all nice, too."

"Honestly, that sounds really nice," Kokone mumbled, and nobody questioned it any further.

A celebratory dinner was organized. Cul went all out, and Gakupo brought out the bottle of champagne, even though the Vocaloids couldn't drink it. They appreciated the sentiment, though, and enjoyed the festive dinner.

After dinner, they partook in a huge game of cards. Even thought nothing could quite quench this creeping feeling that Miku didn't know what the wanted out of life, or the simmering envy at the back of her throat, she couldn't help but laugh and shout and cry and enjoy herself. When the evening calmed down and everybody started to relax, going their separate ways, Miku remembered that she was no longer going to stay in Gumi's room.

The mechanic seemed surprised. "Oh, you're moving in with the others?"

"Yes. I've been a bit of a lone wolf lately: it's about time I reconnect with my old friends."

"Sounds good to me. In case you miss the solitude, just let me know."

Once that conversation was done, the Vocaloids started busying themselves with the guest room to make way for Miku. The tealette thought it would be as easy as simply using on of the two lovebird's beds while they took the other one, but then Kaito had the idea of splitting the twins.

"Why?"

"They bicker throughout the night," Meiko explained. "Even though they have separate beds, the mere fact that they're side by side seems to be enough for them to slap at each other in their sleep."

"How was your room back home?" Kaito asked them.

"We slept against opposite walls," Len replied.

Meiko nodded. "Ok, how about this: Kaito and I take his bed, the one closest to the door. Either Rin or Len takes my bed, against the far wall, and the other one takes Luka's place. That leaves Miku and Luka taking the twin's old beds, in the middle of the room. Any objections?"

Luka glanced towards the tealette. "I don't mind."

"Neither do I."

Fresh bedding was brought in before the Vocaloids got changed into their sleepwear. After bidding the humans good night, they all went to sleep. With Len closest to the door now, he closed it, but kept the light on and snuggled into the new sheets.

"Ok guys, spill it," Rin said to the pair snuggled together. "How did you know?"

"Know what?" Meiko asked, feigning ignorance. She was lying on her side, Kaito right behind her, peeking at the twin from over her head. His arm was draped over Meiko, who held his hand.

"That you were in love, duh."

Kaito chuckled. "I guess I always kind of felt it. I like being with Meiko."

"What does that feel like?" Luka asked from the other side of the room.

"How would you put it…?" Meiko asked her partner. "It just felt like I knew all along. I always felt like getting closer to him, holding and hugging him, but I didn't dare because I didn't think he'd like that."

"There I was, thinking the same thing." Kaito laughed softly. "It felt like that's how we always were, but there was no way of being certain."

"Huh…"

"You made the step forward anyway," Luka said.

"Yeah. It was the scariest thing I'd ever done," he said with a smile. "But it was worth it."

"How would you put it though…?" Meiko muttered. "There's a word for it, I'm sure."

"Nostalgic?" Kaito suggested.

When Meiko shook her head, Rin proposed, "You felt close?"

"Yes, but not quite."

"Familiar?"

The pair looked at Miku, and Meiko smiled. "Yes, that's it. It felt familiar."


	27. It Keeps Happening

**Chapter 26, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Very soon after their conversation, Len turned off the lights and the Vocaloids went to sleep. It didn't take long for Miku to get settled. She liked the feel of the clean and crisp blankets and fitted sheet, and looked forward to a good night's rest.

Meiko and Kaito slumbered off rather quickly, while Rin and Len tossed and turned for a while before finally settling down, leaving Miku to a startlingly quiet room. It was densely populated, but all she could hear was their breathing. Deep, even breaths. It was so easy to forget that they were machines. They were indistinguishable from human people. It almost startled her, how convincing they were.

Hopefully, the people who would test them, only a day from then, would agree.

Silently, she lied down on her mattress. Her mind was spinning slightly form the conversation they'd just had. After talking about how Kaito and Meiko had finally realzied that their emotions were mutual, the six of them had discussed about their worries for the test, whether the people there would be kind or not, and despite how worried Miku was for the exam, the earlier conversation stuck around in her mind more. Knowing that Kaito and Meiko had also felt that familiarity, that the feeling wasn't rooted in Miku's knowledge about her relationship, gave her yet another sliver of hope she didn't dare feel. Did Luka feel it too, the exact way she did?

She sighed, and forced such thoughts out of her mind. She needed to focus on being a friend, think about the upcoming exam. Anything but selfish thoughts. But her feelings wouldn't listen, so she turned her attention to the room she was in, to the breathing sounds she heard, to the dark silhouettes she could see. She wondered how easy it would be to fall asleep in a room full of other people. Would their silent noises keep her away, or be like a lullaby?

As she wondered, looking around the room, she realized that Luka had been watching her.

"Are you alright?" the pinkette whispered before Miku could look away.

"I guess. The crowd is new."

The taller Vocaloid smiled. "It takes some getting used to. Luckily, you won't have to deal with the twin's midnight fights."

Miku giggled. "Were they so bad?"

"Terrible! They would punch each other and steal each other's blankets, even if they had one each!" They chuckled. "But it should be quiet, now."

"Good. Even so, this might take some getting used to. I might be awake for a while."

"I'll stay up with you, if you wish."

Miku hoped that the darkness of the room hid her blush. "You don't need to."

"It's fine. I think I'm more of a night owl anyway. I can never fall asleep early."

"Well, as long as I'm not keeping you up, then," she conceded sheepishly.

Luka smiled, her expression so full of tenderness, that familiar feeling so deep, Miku almost forgot that she'd forgotten. The tealette averted her eyes; she felt like she was going to drown in it all, forget the conversation, their surroundings, her resolutions, everything else.

"I'm glad you're here," the taller Vocaloid suddenly said.

Miku hid a smile. "As am I. I was afraid I'd set myself to the side, that you guys were going to outpace me…"

"We wouldn't have let that happen. We'd been talking about getting you back with us for a while. We figured you might have wanted more time for yourself, but we saw that leaving you alone was doing more harm than good."

Rin tossed and turned a bit, and Miku feared they'd woken her up. She stayed quiet for a minute, before attentively replying, "…You're all very perceptive."

Luka hummed softly. "We need to be. If we aren't, we don't learn from the world around us, or from ourselves. Plus, we need to look after one another."

"That's true."

"Are you feeling better, now?"

"Yes, quite a bit."

"I'm glad. If you ever need help, or have a question, we're here for you, like you have been there for us."

"I won't forget. Thank you."

Silence briefly returned, and the wonderful feeling was all that was left in Miku's mind, the pleasant warmth threatening to send her straight to sleep. Her eyes were already closed and her mind felt like it was floating on clouds when Luka's voice suddenly roused her.

"Ah, yes?"

"Oh, you'd fallen asleep."

"Not quite, not yet, it's ok. Sorry for going to sleep—"

"No, it's alright. I shouldn't have spoken."

Even half-awake, Miku picked up on the strange tone in Luka's voice. "Is everything alright?"

"I was wondering if we could talk a bit more tomorrow morning."

"I'd love that."

"Very well. Shall we meet here after breakfast?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Sleep well, Miku."

It was impossible to stop the smile from reaching Miku's lips. "You too…"

She only had a handful of seconds to wonder if Luka would fall asleep soon, to wonder if she was leaving her all alone to the dark room, before sleep finally took her.

The next morning, Miku was awoken by the various sounds in the room, but she'd practically forgotten where she was. It was only when she opened her eyes and saw Meiko and Kaito, deeply asleep in a clumsy but sweet embrace, that she remembered that she was with the other Vocaloids.

Rin and Len were both sprawled across the entire width of their beds: it was no longer surprising that they bickered in their sleep. In fact, if it hadn't been for a slight gap between their beds and Miku's, they probably would have slapped her.

She turned to the other side, and with the morning light, fully realized that Luka's bed was pushed right against hers', or rather it was the other way around, so that there could be a gap between Miku's mattress and Meiko's, letting Rin access her own bed without walking over the pillows and covers. While the proximity made sense, and explained why the twins were constantly in each other's hair, knowing that she was so close to Luka, that they'd been so close the previous evening, made her head spin. And seeing her up close, relaxed, being able to observe her without having to fear the scrutiny of her gaze, it made her blush and her non-existent heart leap.

She loved her so much. There was no helping it. Luka was beautiful and her voice made her smile and the way she spoke hypnotized her and what she said made her melt. And there it was again, that familiarity, and Miku knew that they'd woken up so close to one another before, they'd probably shared a bed much like Kaito and Meiko were at that moment, and Miku wanted it back so bad, she wanted nothing more.

She turned back to her other side, swallowing her sadness. There was no time for such things. They were going to have a talk later that day, and she'd need to have her wits about her if she could hope to be helpful. Luka probably needed advice of some sort, or had a question about the humans she didn't dare ask them directly. Either way, she had to be level-headed, for Luka's sake.

After some hesitation, Miku decided to wake up and get dressed to have breakfast. She was just early enough to see the Internet Co team before they headed out, so she chatted with them while they waited for their driver. After they left, she set some tea for herself, had something to eat, and stretched on the couch to think about the next day.

They didn't really have a plan, yet. Maybe Gakupo would drive them there, but it was so far away. They'd most likely have to get up very, very early, and they might spend the whole day, maybe even the night there. And after that, then what?

There were a few options. They could fail the exam and get shipped straight back to Crypton, or they fail and make a break for it. Should they —hopefully— pass, they could probably go their separate ways. Miku hoped she could stay with the Internet Co, but she wondered if there were rules against them having guests over, and the only reason why there wasn't any fuss yet was because their status as either object or person was still uncertain. If she were to get kicked out, she'd probably have to join the workforce so be able to get money and live like a regular person. Meiko and Kaito, though, would most likely stick together. Maybe they'd find a place to live in, a job each, and calmly cultivate their own hobbies in their free time. Rin and Len would most likely be forced to do the same, despite their dreams for adventure. Maybe they could find a spot on a TV show, using their fame as Vocaloids as leverage. Or, they could start an online show or podcast or who knew what. Luka already knew what she wanted on a professional level, so no mystery there. Would they keep in touch, should she move far away? Or would they break apart, never to speak again?

Miku wished she could stop such thought from invading her mind, but it was impossible. She tried to look at the books, but only ended up dumbly staring at the page. She tried to turn on the TV, hoping the help of audio would keep her rooted in the present, but the shows and news were totally uninteresting to her right then. She hoped Luka was going to talk about the future with her. Maybe she wanted to be penpals, or close friends. Or maybe she also wanted to ask about staying here for the time being.

All Miku wanted was more time with her.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Kaito and Meiko joined her in the living room, all dressed for the day. They offered her much-needed conversation, a distraction that actually worked, and which only grew in efficiency when Rin and Len joined the fray. By then they'd moved to the dining table so they could talk easily, and Miku was rejoiced to find that she could easily participate in the conversations without feeling like she was interrupting anyone. Maybe that social dynamic she'd admired just the previous day wasn't totally saturated quite yet: she found her place effortlessly.

Luka woke up a bit later than the others, as usual, and served herself some tea as well. When the conversation naturally found its end, Rin and Len went to do other exciting things, Kaito and Meiko retreated to the living room, leaving Miku with Luka, who looked a bit sleepy, hands wrapped around her mug of tea.

"Sleep well?"

The pinkette shrugged. "Well, but not long enough. I couldn't really fall asleep."

"Oh, how come?"

"I guess I can't stop thinking about tomorrow."

"We'll iron out the details this evening, I'm sure. We'll get there with no issue."

"Oh, I'm not too worried about how we'll be getting there, or how the exam proper will go. I'm more worried about what we'll do after it."

"I thought about that, too. I actually envied you because you already have a solid idea of what you want to do."

Luka gave her a wry smile. "It's true that I have that going for me. But I'm not sure where I'd like to go. Will we all go our separate ways?"

"Kaito and Meiko will most likely stick together. I don't think Rin and Len will split either."

"Right, right…" the taller Vocaloid sighed, gazing into her mug. A soft smile played on her lips, but it was obvious something was a bit wrong.

Miku felt the urge to ask, to help her in any way she could. She was so close yet so far, the room bathed in the early morning light, the smell of coffee and tea and toast in the air, and before the tealette could utter a single word, she froze.

In that single instant, Miku was overwhelmed by the familiarity of the situation. They'd done this before. They had been in this situation before, maybe hundreds, if not thousands, of times. She felt it, from somewhere deep within her, somewhere so far away that she doubted even code could reach it. But all of her body seemed heavy, all of a sudden, her mind felt slow, and her senses electrified. It sent her mind spinning, and somehow, she knew —no, hoped, she could only hope!— that Luka was feeling exactly the same thing.

Miku knew what it meant. She knew that this was the last dredges of an echo from their past, desperately trying to reach through time to remind them. Yet she hesitated, felt her voice get trapped her her throat. Was this the same familiarity as the one that Kaito and Meiko had felt? Or was this one energized by her certainty? Did she dare ask Luka if she felt it, too? No, she couldn't dare hint towards it again, she wanted Luka to find her own version of happiness! It didn't have to include her, no matter how much she wanted it to…!

She averted her eyes, and ended up saying nothing.

After a brief pause, Luka whispered, "Could we move to the bedroom? I'd like for us to talk where we can't be overheard."

Miku barely had the presence of mind to whisper back, "Of course."

Honestly, the tealette thought Luka would want to finish her tea first, or maybe that she'd like to have something to eat, but couldn't refuse her. She followed the pinkette back to the guest room, and once they arrived, closed the door behind them. Luka went to sit on her new bed, back against the wall, legs under her, hands still tightly wrapped around the mug.

Miku hesitated, unsure of where to sit. She decided she'd sit at the foot of her own bed so that they could still maintain a polite distance. Luka watched her get settled, an uncharacteristically worried expression splayed across her features.

Now that Miku thought about it, she hasn't taken a sip from her tea in a while.

"So, what's up?"

The pinkette hesitated for a while. "You said that a good way to tell if something is either a memory, or a dream, is to ask other people who where there if it had indeed happened."

"Yeah, I remember."

She hesitated again, too lost in her mind to even consider taking a sip of tea to kill time. She merely caressed the mug, probably taking comfort in its warmth.

"The day before Master tried to operate you, I spoke to him. I spoke to him because the day before that, I had observed weird behavior from you."

"That's right."

"…What exactly happened that day?"

Miku swallowed thickly. "What do you mean?"

"When you told the story to us all, you said that you'd merely shared your frustrations with me, told me about how mad you were at our reactions, or rather the total lack thereof. But that's not quite what I remember."

"Right."

"What happened?"

The tealette hesitated: why did she feel the need to know? Why was she asking now? And most importantly, what would she think of the truth? Miku had always known that she'd remember that event to a certain degree, but preferred to think that Luka had chosen to forget it.

"Well, my memory isn't picture-perfect anymore, so…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Luka, probably suspecting that she was attempting to get out of the conversation, suddenly urged, "Neither is mine, but you must realize that for all of us, those days were terribly, terribly confusing. Nothing from that brief time period felt real."

"What do you mean?"

"You suddenly started acting strange, completely unlike before. You were talking to us, suggesting us things, and while on the surface we didn't react, and mentally we were atrophied, when we revisited that moment it was all pure confusion. What is she doing, what does she want, and so on. Add to that your…emotional breakdown, and everything was swimming in uncertainty. I literally cannot tell anymore what actually happened and what were my own speculations or imaginations. I have to know what really happened that day."

"Why does it matter?"

Luka frowned. "That event made me betray you, sent you on this wild quest and eventually lead you to saving us. Isn't that enough?"

The tealette had no excuse but her own fear, so turned to fully face the pinkette, eyes trained on the blanket on her bed.

"Ok. I'll tell you."

"In detail, please. As much as you are able."

Her request seemed so sincere, so desperate, Miku couldn't even start to debate with her. So, she only nodded and started with the story. "I was trying to get you guys to do new things. Well, everyone but you, because I hadn't figured out that your affinity was in languages. So, you probably watched it all, or I tried talking to you directly, I'm not sure. But for the umpteenth time, you didn't react at all, nobody reacted so that day, for whatever reason, was the straw that broke the camel's back. I went to my room to cry, maybe to consider new strategies, maybe even to consider giving up."

"Would you have given up?" Startled, Miku asked her to repeat herself. "If I hadn't followed you, and hadn't seen this fold out and never reported it to Master, would you have given up?"

The tealette remembered how motivated she'd been, remembered how she'd needed, no, absolutely craved regular attention, affection. The memories she'd taken from Luka, knowing that casual friendship and deep love were possible, fueled her to no end. "No. I never would have."

Luka seemed pleased with her answer, apologized for interrupting, and sat back again, still holding the mug of tea without taking a sip.

"So, well, there I was, in my room, sobbing my eyes out. You knocked on my door, and I think I replied, let you in, and you realized I was crying. You didn't… You didn't do anything else, though. You just stood there, watching me while I sobbed. Eventually I just asked you to close the door, I think, but instead of leaving me alone you stayed. I don't know why, I remember being so surprised, embarrassed. I didn't want anybody to see me like that. But, when you stayed…"

From under her brows, she eyed her long-lost companion, trying to see how she was taking the tale so far. Luka seemed curious, eager to hear the rest, but was still leaning against the wall. She made no motion to encourage her to continue, asked no question, so Miku had to go on from her own volition.

"I— I'm embarrassed to admit when happened next," she confessed. "It's why I didn't tell this part in detail to the others, and was hesitant to tell you…"

"Whatever happened, I'll keep in mind that you were in a moment of weakness."

"…Thank you." She inhaled deeply before going on, saying, "Since you weren't leaving, I asked you to come closer. You did. I asked you to sit with me. You did. You stared at me, didn't say a word, do a thing other than what I asked… I couldn't bear it. I told you that I missed you. I meant who you are now, the real you, not that husk of a person you once were, but you didn't understand. You replied with something along the lines of 'But I'm right here' or something. You just didn't get it, and you realized. You asked me to explain, but I knew that it would be in vain… Or at least I assumed I did. In any case, we talked in circles for a bit I think, and I finally coughed up that I missed who you were, and you asked again what I meant by that, so I—"

She hesitated. She distinctly remembered stopping herself from saying "You loved me" back then, but knew she couldn't tell it to Luka at that moment; it amounted to admitting to her that they were once together, and she refused to do that to her. Maybe she could allow a small lie, a slight lapse in memory rather.

"I told you of things we once did. How past you would have acted. I… I said you were kind, loving. You said that we were incapable of feeling love, which just reminded me of something you'd one told me years before then, and I just lost it. I got a bit angry at you, I think, and asked why you couldn't just comfort me, hold me, and right when I said that, you did hold me. Rather awkwardly, I'll admit, you barely draped an arm over my shoulders, but that was enough. I hugged you, I, uhm, think I even got on your lap at one point, just crying it out, and you didn't even hug me back. I couldn't order you to, or even ask it of you: I guessed it was already confusing enough for you."

"It was."

Miku chuckled sheepishly, giving her a gesture that roughly equated to "well, there you have it", before finishing the tale. "I eventually finished crying and let you go. I thanked you for being there for me, for checking up on me. I'd hoped it would help awaken the more human part buried deep beneath, that last part. You know, suggesting the existence of empathy and so on. Then you left. End of story. After that, I eventually went to bed. I assume you did the same."

Luka nodded. The tea in her hands was probably lukewarm by then, and the mug looked like it was still full.

"I remember you were very distraught."

"I was."

"I remember the conversation as you told it to me, for the most part."

Miku nodded, hoping that her intentional lapse in memory had passed undetected. "Good."

"I remember being confused, and concerned, or you know, as concerned as I could get at that point."

"Right. I'm sorry for that."

The pinkette shook her head. "No, it's ok, now. Everything is explained."

Yet a puzzled expression remained on her features.

"Is there anything else?" Miku asked.

Luka gave her a slow nod, yet remained quiet for a moment or two before speaking. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to be blunt, and I can't help but ask that you be so in return. The exam day is tomorrow, and I fear that afterwards we'll part ways. So… Even though I'll be going against your wishes, I'd like for us to lay all of our cards on the table."

"Against my wishes? How so?"

"About not divulging anything about the past." Miku froze, Luka insisted, "I completely understand your reasoning, but please, I need to know this."

The tealette gulped. "Very well… On one condition."

"Name it."

"You lay the cards first."

Luka's eyes widened, but she didn't retreat. Instead, she merely leaned to the side to put the mug on the floor, took a big sigh, and nodded. "That seems reasonable. Fine."

Miku hated herself, seeing the state she'd put her in. But she had to know what Luka had in mind, before she carelessly revealed the past. After all, what if Luka then heard something she didn't want to hear? That would force them apart for good. Should the pinkette be wrong, Miku could safely and confidently tell her so without needing to reveal too much. Should she be right, on the other hand…

Luka opened her mouth to speak, effortlessly bringing Miku out of her thoughts and into the room, right into the very second she was experiencing.

"After you cut the cable, when I relived my memories, that scene, I distinctly remember feeling loved. Did you love me, Miku? And did I once love you?"

The tealette's breath caught in her throat, her eyes riveted to Luka's. The taller Vocaloid's hands were shaking, and her voice had wavered. There, pinned, cornered, and tempted by this potential step closer to what she truly desired, Miku was incapable of denying her. "Yes."

Luka all but fell apart in response, practically falling forwards from the wall and collapsing in half, face buried in her hands. And from there, instead of wailing or groaning, she merely sighed as if she had let all of the fear burst out of her, like the pop of a balloon."Oh thank goodness."

Miku had lunged forward to catch her, help her, support her, anything, and when her hands found the pinkette's shoulders, Luka closed the distance, wrapping her long-lost companion in a hug. Once they were tightly embracing one another, both buried in each other's shoulders, Luka whispered, "That's that feeling I get when we talk, isn't it? That familiarity, just like what Kaito and Meiko—"

"Yes. It is."

"Do you love me?"

"I always have," Miku said, and it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. "More than anything."

"Thank the stars."

"So you feel the same?" the tealette couldn't help but ask, too terrified by the possibility that she was once again disillusioned. She needed the certainty.

"Yes, from the moment my emotions returned I knew, I just knew that I needed to be close to you, that I wanted you close to me, but I couldn't find the words to say it, or the language, and the longer I remained silent and alone, the more I wondered if I'd remembered correctly, the more I wondered if we really could love in such a way, if it was normal…"

Miku could only sigh deeply in response, feeling her entire body melt against Luka's. The relief was overpowering, and all she could do was cry and hold on, forever if need be. Forever, be wrapped in her arms, feeling Luka all around her, hearing her breathe and whisper just to her, whispering back and holding her in return, locked together until the end of time.

It was all so perfect. Not from a dream, but from a distant memory.

When she felt her shoulder become damp, the blissful cloud parted somewhat: something was still amiss.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm so relieved," Luka managed to reply, her voice strained. "Ever since I woke up here, I was constantly wondering, constantly confused. I was so sure that you had said that I once loved you, and that you said you missed me. That you needed me. But I couldn't tell if I was simply going crazy, if that had really happened at all. Worse still, you acted like it never happened. Sometimes you'd blush or stumble but you'd ignore me anyway. I thought I was being delusional!"

"I'm so sorry."

Luka didn't say anything for a while, but Miku could feel from the way she shook that she was crying. The guilt all but drowned her from the inside out.

"I'm so, so sorry," she repeated. "I made a mistake."

"Just right now—" Luka managed between inhales, "You didn't even want to answer my question… Why?"

"I wanted you to be happy," Miku tried to explain. "I wanted nothing more than you to be happy, even if it meant letting you go on without me. To force myself onto you if you could have found something better… I hated the thought."

Luka shook her head. "There's nothing else for me, better or worse. I'm convinced that even back then, even as a dumb bot, when you disappeared, I missed you. You weren't experimenting on us anymore but that didn't matter, I was just as confused as before. Every day, I hoped to see you during breakfast, in vain. Even before my emotions came back, I needed you. I need y—"

Miku pulled back slightly to look her in the eye. Luka was sobbing, but her mechanical heart filled with so much tenderness and love she couldn't help but smile, if just a bit.

"I'm here now, Luka. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Ignoring her own tears, she wiped them from Luka's face even as they continued to fall. "Honest. No more pretend, none of that. If you want me in your life, I'll be honored to be there."

Luka dared smile in return, putting her hands over Miku's. "There's nothing I'd want more."

Something in Miku's chest jumped and leaped in joy, and she, in turn, felt herself completely unwind and relax. She smiled, the relief of the end of wait so strong, she felt that was had started crying all over again. "Thank goodness," she whispered.

It was Luka's turn to dry Miku's cheeks. They giggled, somewhat shy, somewhat giddy, as their words sank in and as the reality of their relationship felt more and more real.

"I was so scared," Miku confessed when she had finally stopped crying. "I was so ready to watch you run off towards some distant place without me."

Luka chuckled breathlessly. "I thought I was losing my mind."

The tealette shook her head and sank back into the pinkette's arms. "Now, we have nothing to worry about anymore."

"Yeah, at least not until tomorrow."

Miku giggled at the dry humor, before letting her eyes close as she let herself fully experience the moment. She felt Luka do the same, how her breathing slowed, how her arms around her found their place.

"I never want to let you go," the tealette muttered after a minute. "Never again."

Luka chuckled, her voice still thick with emotion. "Neither do I."

Miku grinned, and snuggled deeper in the embrace, burrowing her face into the crook of Luka's neck. The taller Vocaloid chuckled; it must have tickled. Yet she couldn't deny that the world would continue spinning, that time would continue to tick by, regardless of what they did.

"You're right, though. We have a place to be tomorrow. People to see," she whispered against Luka's skin. "And friends who will wonder about us, should we try to stay hidden forever."

"Then let us stay until they inevitably find us," Luka whispered back.

Stay they did. For long periods they would be almost perfectly still except for their breathing, but sometimes they would shift either so that one could hug more or be hugged more, and eventually they went from their seated embrace to being spread over the width of both of their beds. Luka fell asleep then, all wrapped in Miku's arms, hidden from the world, and the tealette was happy to hold her, to run her fingers through her hair, to drape a blanket over her sleeping form. She almost dozed off herself, until she noticed that the house seemed to be abuzz with activity. She had no idea what time it was, if the Internet Co members were already home or if it was barely lunchtime, and preferred to stay hidden with Luka, quiet and unfound, until someone would open the door.


	28. The End of the Beginning

**Chapter 27, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"What should we say, when people ask about us?"

The question startled Miku: the two had been quiet for who knew how long, almost asleep for the most part. She hadn't even noticed when Luka had woken up, so the question came as a surprise, whispered or not.

"What do you mean?"

Luka shifted a bit so that she was level with her companion, and no longer curled against her side.

"Later today, if people ask where we were, or tomorrow, during the exam, if they ask if we're in a relationship, with each other or no. What will we answer?"

"Ah…"

"I do not think we have to fear our friends here, but it's the people who will be testing us who worry me."

"Is it because of how Master reacted, way back then?"

Luka nodded sadly. "Yes. Last time we were honest, when we tried to reach out, be ourselves…"

"I don't think we have anything left to fear," Miku replied, her words thinly veiling her uncertainty. "Crypton did what they did for control and to maintain appearances. The people at the exam don't have such motivations. They'll want to determine what exactly we are before making any decisions."

"Right. But do you think the fact that we fall for another AI instead of a human would mean something to them? That they'd think we're against humans in a way?"

"In that case, Kaito and Meiko have as much reason as us to worry. We could ask them if they have concerns."

"We could."

"And our other friends might also have helpful advice."

"If they were to ask now, though, what would your answer be?"

"The truth." Luka seemed a bit surprised. "You wouldn't?"

"I would," the pinkette quickly said. "Being afraid of a reaction is one thing, but being dishonest with those who will decide our fate is another. I'll be honest, unless someone manages to convince me to do otherwise. It's your certainty that surprised me."

Miku gave her a small smile, but found that concern remained on her partner's face. "You're afraid."

"I am. I'll be honest, but I'll be afraid."

"Do you blame yourself?"

Luka averted her eyes, yet asked, "Blame myself?"

"For what Master did to us." When Luka didn't quickly reply, she continued, "Luka, nobody blames you for that: nobody could have anticipated his reaction."

The pinkette shrugged. "As far as we remember, I've gone to Master twice with legitimate concerns, hoping to make things right, and twice the consequences were swift and terrible. My honesty to our superiors has brought us nothing good."

"We're not going to Master tomorrow," Miku tried to gently remind her. "And after the exam is over, we'll never have to see him again."

"That's true," Luka sighed. "I'm still afraid, though."

"That's fine. You're not alone, this time. We'll all be with you."

"Good."

Luka seemed to feel better, and Miku allowed herself to relax again, gently toying with the pinkette's hair. The taller Vocaloid watched her calmly, carefully, before asking, quieter still, "Do you think Master is looking for us right now?"

"He must be," Miku said without hesitation, still playing with her hair. "I think the only reason why we're not hearing about our disappearance everywhere is because he's keeping it quiet. He doesn't want to admit that he lost six perfectly good AIs."

"How do you think he'll react when we get recognized as true AIs?"

The tealette paused, gave up on the little game. "There's no way to know." Luka didn't answer, Miku eyed her quietly. "You're afraid of him."

Her only reply was a brief nod.

"He's only human. In a day, he won't be able to touch us."

"Yet you said that when he spoke to you, you lost total control over yourself. You weren't even mindless like we were, and his name was enough to make you obedient... What if that's still the case? What if, months from now, when we're living our own lives, he knocks on the door and manages to whisk us away, back to Crypton?"

Miku shook her head. "We'll be citizens, have a passport, friends, professional lives. Our disappearance will be noticed, and Crypton will be the first place they'll look. If you want, we can even bring this up after the exam tomorrow: see if there are any legal measures that can be taken to secure our safety."

"I'd like that."

Miku smiled. "You've been worrying about a lot, haven't you?"

"Yes… I suppose, after a decade of misery, knowing that happiness is so close, I can't help but look out for the obstacles that may yet stand in our way."

"I understand."

Luka gave her a warm smile. "I suppose I need to remember how many allies I have now, too. I'm not alone anymore."

"And if I can help it, you never will be again."

They shared the silence for a while, during which Miku ran a lazy hand through Luka's hair. When she thought about it for a little bit too long, she was once again absolutely giddy, ecstatic, at the fact that they were finally back together, after all these years. It was crazy, insane, unbelievable, and everything she had ever wanted.

Luka sighed deeply, before pulling the tealette into another hug. Miku smiled, returning the gesture with all the happiness in the world.

"I feel like I missed this, without even remembering it," the pinkette mumbled into Miku's shoulder. "I missed this more than words can say."

"As did I."

"How did you keep so quiet?" she asked. "If I were you, if I'd known for sure about us, I'm not sure what I would have done."

"I really, really wanted you to find out what made you happy," Miku answered. "Your true happiness was more important than anything less that happened to involve me. It kept me in check."

The pinkette hummed again, squeezing her partner tightly. "I love you," she said.

"I love—"

"Hey, you guys in here?"

The pair sat up quickly at Rin's voice, managing to pull apart just before she opened the door.

"Oh, you are in here! Come on, dinner's ready soon!"

Without sparing a second glance, the blonde left again, humming happily to herself, while the two Vocaloids let out a brief, nervous laugh in relief.

"It would seem you're just as worried as I am," Luka teased her companion. "You jumped right out of your skin."

"I'm not worried about them knowing!" Miku shot back, just as playfully. But then, with more honesty, she admitted, "I thought you'd prefer if we were honest and open on our own terms, instead of being outed by circumstance."

Luka smiled and helped the tealette to her feet. "Thank you for being so considerate."

"You want to tell them now?"

"If you're ok with it."

"If you are."

The pinkette laughed heartily for the first time that day, without shedding fear or sadness. "It's fine, Miku. We might as well get this over with."

Together, they headed for the dining room, and when they passed through the halls, Miku was surprised by how time had flown: they had spent the whole day together in that room. Part of her was surprised nobody had come to look for them earlier, until she realized that it was entirely possible that they had been discovered while they were both asleep. Still, she felt strangely disoriented, out of place and out of time, seeing the evening light through the windows and hearing the bustling noise of humans and androids alike in the dining room.

When they arrived, she saw that once again, everybody was in a festive mood. Surely they were celebrating the start of the Vocaloids' new lives, toasting to a good exam the next day, and so on. She smiled, the happiness contagious, and felt Luka's hand take and gently squeeze her own.

"There you two are!" Lily greeted them. "Come on! This is the last day of your old lives!"

The only two spots free around the table were not together, and Miku paused. Luka hesitated as well, certainly just as torn between the desire to join the festivities and to stay at the tealette's side.

Kokone noticed first, with a raised brow and a brief moment of surprise, followed swiftly by understanding. "Oh, if you guys want, I can move. Like that you can sit together."

"What? Why w—" Galaco turned in her seat to face the two newcomers, and just as quickly picked up on what she saw. "Oh!"

"What?" the twins asked.

"Gay bots!" Galaco cheered.

"Huh?"

"It's a dream come true!"

"Shut it Galaco," Kokone spat as she picked up her plate to move to the other vacant spot at the other side of the table. "No need to make a big deal out of it."

Kaito blinked in surprise. "You two, too?"

"Yes," Luka proudly said as she sat in Kokone's old chair, Miku sitting beside her.

"Congratulations!"

"When did it happen?" Meiko asked, her eyes shining. "Did you have a moment, like Kaito and I?"

"This morning, after breakfast. And I guess you could say that we had a moment or two," the tealette replied.

"We also needed to be a bit brave," Luka confessed, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Aw, that's really cute," Rin all but purred.

"Double celebration!" Galaco cheered.

Gakupo rolled his eyes, an amused grin stuck on his face, before turning towards the new pair. "Congratulations. I'm glad you found one another."

"Wait, Miku, since you had the memories from your past, didn't you know about you two all along?" Gumi asked, genuinely curious.

"I did."

"Oh wow. Must have been tough, to pretend there was nothing."

"It was maddening for the both of us," Luka teased her partner. "But we're happy nonetheless."

The humans drank to the Vocaloids' newfound love, and then to the following morning, before digging into yet another delicious meal prepared by both Meiko and Cul. The brunette had prepared a tomato and bell pepper soup, while Cul had busied herself with making homemade bread to go with. A huge bowl of salad with eggs and ham completed the meal, painting the entire table with red, green, yellow and white.

Truthfully, despite the colors and smiles, that evening's dinner was, at the core, bittersweet. It finally started sinking in that from that point on, everything would change, no matter what would happen. The Vocaloids were going to leave, one way or another, and maybe even part ways, searching for new horizons. Lily promised Miku that if she'd ever need help, she'd have her back. Gakupo and Kaito promised to keep in touch via handwritten letters, while Galaco, Rin and Len went on a long tirade about the past, and in contrast, what the future could hold. Interspersed between it all, all twelve of them shared laughs about recent memories, the movies they'd seen, conversations they'd had. It was clear: while the humans and Vocaloids hadn't been able to get to know each other for very long, they would miss one another terribly.

Once the meal was finished and the humans-only bottle of wine emptied, the light-hearted aspects of the evening was put to the side, and the table was swiftly cleared, so that they could all discuss the following day.

"We'll have to get up early," Gakupo told them. "I'm taking the day off work, so I'll be driving you guys. We'll take the van, and should arrive at the organization building shortly before ten. If all goes well, it should be done within the day."

"What order will we go in?" Len asked.

"I'm not sure. In case you're wondering, yes, you two might have to take the exam separately."

The twins frowned sadly, before Meiko asked, "How long 'til we get the results?"

"I don't have the faintest idea."

Kaito was next. "If it goes well, and we're given the status of True AIs, is our independence immediate?"

"I think that from a legal standpoint, yes. But you'll most likely have to wait for some important documentation like a passport, something like a birth certificate, and so on, before you can move around completely freely."

"But we could go job and apartment hunting, for example."

"Yes, I suppose."

"Could we stay here in the meantime, if there's a long waiting period?" Luka enquired.

"Of course. We might have to clear it with our higher-ups, but if it were completely up to us, you'll be welcome for as long as you need."

Meiko had another question. "Do you think they'll help with issues like getting a job or a place to live? Do they know if some places are more bot-friendly?"

"They should, but as far as I know, companies and such don't really care about that. Employers and landlords are a lot more judgmental of character nowadays, instead of a person's origins. You shouldn't face any particular problem."

"Do you think we'll need to ask for extra security measures against Crypton?" Miku asked.

"Bot or not, considering your history with them, I'd say that a restraining order would be a good idea," Gakupo replied with a small chuckle. "They'll probably be able to help with that."

Once the questions were out of the way, it was time for one last group board game, a few more jokes, and then they were all off to bed. It felt like a strangely formal affair: the Internet Co members, with the exception of Gakupo, were bidding the Vocaloids farewell, in case they didn't get up early enough to wave them goodbye. Plus, amidst the hugs and goodbyes and wishes of good fortune, the Vocaloids were acutely aware that this was the end of their last day as fugitives, as unidentified entities. From that point on, they were either people in their own right, or nothing more than objects. The previous evening, everybody seemed excited, but that night, the Vocaloids were quiet and eerily somber. Kaito and Meiko did not even attempt to join a conversation and merely went to bed and to sleep, while the twins shared worried glances at one another while they tried to make light of their nerves.

"I mean, what's the worst that can happen?" Len chuckled at one point.

Rin merely deadpanned. "We fail and get turned back to slaves."

That response did not sit well with Luka, who didn't need anything else to also withdraw from the uncannily uncomfortable evening chat. Miku held her hand and continued to chat with the twins, hoping to redirect the conversation towards a more cheerful, optimistic conclusion, in vain. The twins also went to bed a bit scared, quite nervous and entirely jittery, leaving Miku with her not-quite-asleep yet companion, who had her eyes downcast, and a slight frown pulling at the corners of her lips.

"It'll be ok," Miku whispered to just her. She didn't know if the others had gone to sleep yet, but couldn't really care; if she was keeping them awake, they'd tell her.

"I know, the rational part of me knows that, but—" Luka sighed, finally making eye contact with her. "What if we do fail? And if not, what if we're forced to separate?"

"I'll find you. We're immortal: we'll have all of time to reunite, no matter what stands between us."

"Still. For every day we would spend fighting and trying, it would be another day we couldn't be together, couldn't be happy."

Miku hugged her, holding her close. "I doubt we'll have to fight anymore. Tomorrow will be the end of our struggles, not the beginning."

"How can you be so certain?"

The tealette drew circles on her partner's back as she looked for her reply. "If I spend another day wondering what if it all goes wrong, if I have to imagine just another hour of us being apart, I just might lose my mind."

Luka gave her a sad chuckle. "That's encouraging."

"It's merely the tragic truth," Miku joked. "I can't waste time worrying, not now. We've only just found one another again: I don't feel like I can afford to be distracted by external worries I can't control. You're here, with me, and I just want to savor that."

The pinkette didn't reply for a while. "That's another way of looking at it. Instead of worrying if we'll be separated again, savor the time we now have."

"Exactly."

Luka sighed again, shifting so that she could wrap her arms around the tealette's waist. "I'm sorry. I've occupied so much of our day with worries and stress…"

"It's ok, that's not what I was trying to say," the tealette whispered. "I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything, and I'm glad I got to help. When you're scared it's best to talk about it, too."

"Yet we could have done other things."

"Such as?"

"We could have gotten to know each other better," Luka said sadly. "We've only conversed a handful of times, and done maybe two or three things together. We could have played a board game, or watched a movie, or gone outside. We could have talked about things we liked, rediscover who we once were, individually and as a pair. Instead we wasted today thinking about tomorrow."

Miku shook her head. "Any time spent making sure you feel better is time well spent. Plus, now we continue wasting today, thinking about earlier today."

Luka scoffed. "There's no winning, is there?"

"Sure there is. What do you dream about?"

"Ooh… I dream about new places. Usually I'm traveling, but every time I'm inside a plane or a train, the inside always changes: only cars and buses look normal."

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I can remember a single instant where we were in a train or plane."

"It would be nice to take one someday soon."

"Yeah. Where would you like to go?"

Luka immediately named the countries highest on her list as travel destinations, and even considered living in a few, at least for a handful of years. She explained that some places had a particular cuisine she looked forward to trying, or they had a language she enjoyed using, or had particular traditions, architecture or even scenery she hoped to see. At one point as she got carried away, Meiko quietly shushed her, getting small, sorry giggles from the two girls in response.

"Well, there you have it," Luka said with a timid smile.

"You have so many dreams," Miku whispered with admiration. "I'm still so lost…"

The taller Vocaloid's smile fell somewhat, but before the tealette could apologize for bringing the mood down, she asked, "I'm sure you've considered this already, but maybe a memory of mine could bring you a clue? Is there a favorite moment that you remember well?"

"I've tried and tried again to remember clues," Miku admitted sadly. "As for a favorite memory… It was from your point of view, but I remember at one point, we were all watching a movie. You were holding me because I couldn't watch it."

"What were we seeing?"

The tealette chuckled. "A horror movie."

"Hm… I don't remember ever seeing one."

"I'll let you discover if you like it or not," Miku teased her. "One thing was for sure in my case: I can't stand watching them. So I was sitting in your lap, facing the opposite direction, and I had spent the whole movie just watching the colors of the screen projected against the wall. I only know because at one point, I told you about it."

"Colors… You've tried art?"

"Some of it. We didn't have color pencils or, say, gouache back home. Maybe I can give painting a try once we're free."

"Or decorating. Interior design?"

"Sculpting?" Miku giggled. "I still have a lot of things to try."

"And a lot of time," Luka reminded her, pulling her close once again.

"I might need some help," the tealette admitted, her voice muffled by her companion's shirt.

"I'd be glad to help in any way possible," she replied. "I was wondering."

"Yeah?"

"After the exam, Kaito and Meiko are going to move out, and Rin and Len are going to want to leave and go on adventures. I know your plan for the moment is to stay if you may, but would you be tempted by the idea of living together?"

Miku smiled from ear to ear. "There's no idea I like more."

Luka relaxed in her arms, and Miku had to stop herself from chuckling: the pinkette truly was a bit of a worry wart. Trying to play it cool, the pinkette merely said, "I'm glad."

"Hm. Where would you like to live?"

"Eventually, far away, in exotic places. But for now, somewhere quiet would be best, so I could work."

"I would prefer a smaller place, too," the tealette added. "These large mansions get so empty when nobody else is around."

"Agreed. Though we'll need a place for books. Lots of books."

"Then I get a room just to try new things in!"

"And a studio for music, too."

"Of course. Oh, a garden would be nice! With large bay windows…"

Luka smiled, her expression so full of dreams and tenderness, Miku almost forgot that the next day would decide the rest of their lives.


	29. The First Day

**Chapter 28, not beta-read.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

That night, sleep was a difficult affair. Luka couldn't fall asleep at all, and it wasn't just because of her irregular sleeping pattern; everybody had the jitters. Rin and Len were practically wild, and even Kaito seemed fidgety. Miku knew only because the noise and hassle kept rousing her: if she had been alone, she probably would have slept through the night with relative ease. Unfortunately, over the course of the night, people kept waking up, convinced that they were already late. Rin had a nightmare about going back to Crypton, and Kaito briefly relapsed to his previous scared personality, hoping that he didn't have emotions at all, if it meant he no longer had to feel the anxious apprehension. Meiko seemed to be the calmest of the bunch, Miku included, but that didn't mean that she slept soundly, either.

"That's it. I'm not trying anymore," Luka grumbled to herself at one point.

"Try what?"

The pinkette flinched. "Oh, you're awake, too?"

"Rin was sure we were late again a few minutes ago: I've been trying to fall back asleep again."

"I'm not going to bother: the moment I think I'm going to doze off, my mind wakes itself up. I just can't stop thinking, worrying, second-guessing…"

Miku scooted a bit closer to her so that they could speak with quieter voices. "You need your rest, though."

"I won't be getting it," Luka sighed. She sounded so resigned. "Plus, it's probably almost morning anyway. Gakupo will come to wake us up at any minute now."

The tealette had to admit that she was right: it was closer to early morning rather than being late at night. "Ok. I'll stay up too, if it helps."

"You don't have to. If you can fall asleep, I won't stop you."

"No, it's fine. Plus, it gives us a little bit of extra time."

Because of the darkness, the tealette felt and heard more than she saw Luka's smile. She felt how she moved, probably to look away a bit even though they couldn't really see one another, she heard the slight exhale of a stopped laugh, or a happy sigh.

"Ok, I'll accept that reason."

Miku grinned in response and scooted closer still so that they were once again close, close enough to embrace, but instead they pressed their foreheads together so that they could see each other, and the tealette gently held her hands.

"I can see what Kaito had meant when he said that he liked holding Meiko's hands," Luka started at one point. "I like how cool yours are."

"Yours are nice and warm," Miku whispered back as she followed the creases she felt with a finger. As she doodled, making random shapes, Luka would flex her fingers so that they would brush Miku's.

"Do you think we can express affection in ways humans can't?" the pinkette suddenly asked. "Or in a different way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Humans like holding hands, like we do. But I feel like we may have a bigger fixation on that, since apparently kissing doesn't do as much for us."

"It might have to do with the way we're built."

"How so?"

Miku shrugged. "We're AIs that sing, and are built to look like idols. Thanks to our appearance, we actually have a use for our hands, but due to our fabrication, our mouth is only for speaking. They may have put enough sensors in our hands to perceive our environment, and pick up delicate things or to make precise movements for dances, and neglected to do so for our face, simply because they didn't see an immediate need for it."

"That makes sense."

"I don't doubt we could probably be affectionate in our own special way. Maybe Kaito and Meiko got a head start?"

"We could ask," Luka agreed. "Maybe later today?"

"You wouldn't want to explore things for ourselves first?"

"We could, of course. Then again, there's no guarantee we're all built the same; before you know it, they could have nothing to share. And even if they do, it's up to us to see if it's good for us, as well." Then, after a short pause, Luka added, "Plus, who knows how much time we'll have."

Miku nodded in such a way that her head stayed against Luka's. "It's worth a shot, yeah."

Luka wordlessly took charge of the quiet game, taking one of Miku's hands in both of hers. The tealette hummed at the warmth, the gentle caresses and massages. She ran her free hand through the taller Vocaloid's hair, gently pulling at the tangles to loosen them. Luka smiled, looked up at the tealette, who couldn't help but smile back. Their noses bumped, which made them giggle.

"At this point, I'm hoping that Gakupo never comes here," the pinkette confessed.

"At one point, we'll get hungry no matter what we want," Miku teased.

"We can always postpone eating, but who knows when—"

The door creaked open.

"Alright guys, it's time to get up!"

Luka sighed. "Speak of the devil."

"Today's the day!" Meiko announced loudly to the room, seeming rested enough.

The twins groaned while Kaito immediately stood, probably to just get it over with. Miku and Luka followed suit after a brief moment, and soon enough, even the twins were forced to accept that time would keep ticking forward, no matter how much they would dislike it.

To their surprise, the Internet Co members woke up with them for solidarity, despite the previous evening's emotional goodbyes. These final goodbyes were all the more painful, especially for Miku; she now truly feared what would happen if they would fail the test, if she would never get to see Lily and her friends again.

They had a short breakfast, during which Cul handed them a picnic basket filled with sandwiches for the long drive.

When all was said done, the seven of them climbed in the car then drove off, the five remaining singers waving them goodbye from the doorstep.

Gakupo was the one driving, naturally, though Meiko quickly expressed interest in learning. Unfortunately for her, Rin and Len had both won the prize of front seat, a luxury they didn't even savor; they fell asleep within the first ten minutes of the drive. The four other Vocaloids sat in the back, a relatively spacious area with five chairs, of which two faced backwards. Meiko and Kaito had volunteered to sit there first so that Luka could stretch on the backseat and catch up on sleep as well, her head in Miku's lap. Halfway through the trip, the two couples would switch seats. The tealette stared out the window, watching the scenery go by, barely capable of paying attention to the conversation within the vehicle. She watched how the forested neighborhood gave way to a bigger street, less green, taller buildings, brighter lights. The sun was rising by then, painting the sky a strange blue-orange color.

As they kept driving, the streets filled. People crowded the sidewalks, cars filled the roads. Busses would honk at cheeky pedestrians, bikes would ring in warning when they feared a driver didn't see them. Miku spied a group of kindergartners being lead like a herd towards a park, someone walking half a dozen dogs, a group of young adults racing around hills on dirt-bikes. Time and time again the city seemed to grow dense, only to dissipate, just to become dense again.

Gakupo drove straight through the heart of the city, but Miku never spotted anything familiar from their regular drives to the studio. She suspected that Gakupo was intentionally avoiding the area where they were kept, where Crypton was. She was grateful: she'd hate to think how they'd react if they were to see the buildings that had caged them for decades.

Rin and Len stayed fast asleep, but Luka still couldn't manage to sleep for longer than a few minutes at a time. Eventually she once again gave up together, preferring to sit with Miku and stare out the window with her, than desperately try to catch sleep.

Well into the day, Gakupo announced that they were halfway there, which meant that Meiko and Kaito finally got to sleep on the backseat. By then, they were surrounded by fields, small houses, and sometimes they'd see barn animals roaming large pastures. Meiko started conversation, which ultimately lead to the new pair to ask the older one how they liked to express affection. Unfortunately, they didn't have a real one-size-fits all answer: even though they were bots, their construction varied slightly for each of them. Kaito apparently had more sensors in his arms than Meiko did, while the brunette could feel much more with her neck than he.

"It's up to you to figure out what you're most receptive to," Meiko summed up.

"Preferably in the privacy of your own room," Gakupo joked from the front seat, rousing the twins.

"Huh?"

"It's nothing, Rin, go back to sleep if you want," Meiko comforted her.

"Nah. What time is it anyway?"

"Almost noon," replied the driver.

"Oh. Is anybody else hungry?"

Meiko divided some sandwiches among them, allowing the vehicle to once again be filled with nothing but the noise of the road.

As the meadows made way to gardens, then skyscrapers, Miku knew that they were almost there. Everybody else seemed to sense it; the air grew tense, nervous. Rin started singing softly to herself, while Meiko and Kaito cuddled up on the backseat, whispering to one another. Luka, able to hold her partner only by her hand, whispered to her, "I hope they'll be friendly."

"What do you mean?"

"You said that even the Internet Co members were dismissive of you at first."

"These are professionals, though. At least, I'd like to hope."

"I wonder how many AIs they still need to work with on a regular basis."

"What do you mean?"

"With the laws in place, I don't imagine that they actually have AIs come in all the time, not anymore. What if we're a novelty again?"

Miku shrugged, gulped, and squeezed her companion's hand, finding solace in her company despite the slight distance that separated them.

Shortly after, Gakupo drove into an underground parking, found a spot, and parked the car.

"Alright, here we are," he declared. "Everybody ready?"

The noise of six seatbelts being undone was the wordless reply. Slowly, the Vocaloids came out of the car, realizing that for the first time, they truly were outside and very, very far from home. The pairs quickly rejoined, eyes darting to and fro, taking in their surroundings, analyzing the sounds. Rin resumed humming after a handful of seconds, filling the parking with a timid melody.

"Alright, the building is right above us," Gakupo said, leading them to an elevator. "We're going to the seventh floor."

The Vocaloids were no strangers to elevators, but they had never been in one without the supervision of a guard. For Miku, in fact, her last experience in an elevator was rather negative, and didn't want to stay there longer than needed. Gakupo had to press the buttons, and when the elevator arrived, lead them to the front desk at the floor. There, he spoke to a lady, who then handed him six packets of paper, which he handed to the Vocaloids.

"These are for you," he said. "I'm afraid that this may just be the start of a paperwork nightmare."

Miku took the packet that was handed to her and tested its weight: it was easily a dozen pages long, and the first page alone harbored almost twenty questions.

"What? This is going to take forever!" Rin exclaimed.

Len handed her a pen. "Well, better get started."

The first page had the trivialities: full name, date of creation (body and mind separate), location, nationality (of creator, or nationality of choice, to specify) and contact information. Galaco's knowledge helped with those, since all Vocaloids had been born on different days and couldn't remember much of it at all. With the first page filled, they all curled up on themselves to reply to the rest of the questions to the best of their ability.

The form covered everything, starting with physical details (appearance of body: humanoid, animaloid, or other.) For the first two, there was an additional sheet each for details to go over the fidelity to the organic model, from physical capabilities such as strength, speed, agility, and flexibility, but also what kind of organs they possessed. The list of boxes to tick was long: and sometimes Miku didn't know what to answer. She could say she had something akin to a stomach, sure, but a liver? She knew that consuming alcohol was a bad idea for them due to its flammability, so could she say that she didn't have one? And kidneys? A heart? It got even more difficult as the list went from digestion and health management to reproduction: Miku knew that none of the Vocaloids had the organs that served that purpose, but knew that breasts could belong to that list since the organic version assisted in that department, but with the Vocaloids, their presence was merely aesthetic.

It got tougher still when the questions veered towards the mental side of things.

"Do you feel like you perceive an equivalent to human emotion? If yes, rate similarity from 1 to 10, with 1 the least similar and 10 the most similar"

"Do you feel like you perceive an equivalent to human need to be social? If yes, rate similarity from 1 to 10, with 1 the least similar and 10 the most similar"

"Do you feel like you perceive an equivalent to the human need of affection? If yes, rate similarity from 1 to 10, with 1 the least similar and 10 the most similar"

"Do you feel like you perceive an equivalent to human need for long-lasting relationships, sexual or not? If yes, rate similarity from 1 to 10, with 1 the least similar and 10 the most similar"

It went on and on. It was grueling, to see how much they still differed from humans. Then came existential questions.

"Are you comfortable with immortality?"

"Do you think you will be able to live in a society that will tend to make short-term decisions, when you will probably have to suffer the long-term consequences?"

And then questions about the relationship with humans.

"Are you aware of how easy it is to harm a human individual, mentally or physically?

"Do you think you will be able to respect an individual's opinions, no matter how far it veers from rational, logical or mathematical conclusions?"

Then there were questions about the future.

"Will you want to be part of a family? If yes, as a child, or as a parent?"

"Should you wish to have a spouse, would you want a human or artificially intelligent one, or does it not matter?"

"Should you wish to have a child, would you want a human or artificially intelligent one, or does it not matter?"

"Would you like a different date of birth?"

"Would you be receptive to updates for your hardware?"

"Are you planning on traveling in the next year?"

Finally, when she was done, she was greeted with a painful phrase:

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A SELF-EVALUATION FORM, MEANT TO ASSIST IN TESTING. TEST RESULTS MAY VARY SIGNIFICANTLY.

After that, all she had to do was add the date, and sign as best as she could. When she looked up, Rin was already done, while all the others were still painstakingly checking boxes and writing out replies.

Seemingly hours later, when they were all done, the sheets were returned to the receptionist, who told them that all they could do from that point on was wait. By then, it was easily almost three o'clock.

Miku was nervous; nowhere on that sheet did they ask if they'd prefer to do the tests with the company of another. Would they be taken away, alone? Would this mean that a bad test would take her away, never to see her friends again? She tried to snap herself back to the present, held Luka's hand and let her rest on her shoulder, tried to be there for her too, but in vain. Finally, some professor appeared and asked Meiko to follow him, and sure enough when Kaito attempted to join, he was asked to wait. In the meantime, Gakupo read a book.

Luka fidgeted. "I hope this was the right plan," she whispered to the tealette. "What if they're working with Crypton?"

All Miku could reply was, "I don't know."

Kaito was summoned shortly after, meaning that they were following the order of their age, oldest models first. Knowing she was next, she curled into Luka's embrace. Suddenly, her brave front felt so weak, paper-thin even.

"I'm scared."

Luka hesitated. "We'll be ok."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"We'll figure it out."

"…if we need to escape again, let's meet back at the Internet Co house."

"Deal."

Not a minute later, another man dressed in white arrived, and asked Miku to follow him. Reluctantly, Miku parted from her partner and stood, approached the stranger. He offered to shake hands, she accepted, he introduced himself as 'Dell', then they made to leave.

Before Luka could disappear from view, she quickly gave her one last wave of goodbye.

The halls were similar to Crypton's. Tall, white, with employees carrying ID badges walking around. The billboards had other things, though. There were support groups for AIs adjusting to human life, or resources to find AI-friendly workspaces.

"How many AIs do you come across?" she timidly asked.

"Oh, we get a regular stream throughout the year," he replied, his tone friendly. "Just because it's illegal to make AIs doesn't mean people won't do it."

"How well do they adjust to outside life?"

"Rather well," he said, pulling out something similar to my wallet. "You're fortunate to already have a human-like frame, but even those who had grown up in some kid's wristwatch eventually get used to their legs and limbs if they choose to have them, and find an area in life they excel at." With that, he fished out a picture from the wallet and handed it to her, pointing to a young woman who was hugging him from behind. "That's Una. She was written by some lonely soul who needed someone for conversation. It happened quite by accident, really; she was supposed to be a limited AI, but her intellect grew exponentially."

"Isn't that a Superhuman AI?"

"She was, for a while," Dell confirmed with a nod. "But she volunteered to have the excess capabilities removed, and some of her code to be re-written. After all, she was programmed for conversation, she was inclined to like company, and nobody likes the company of anything Superhuman. Right now, she's very happy, adopted by a wonderful couple, and specializes in sound engineering."

Miku could hardly believe it. She returned the photo to him, and he put it away. As he did so, she spied photo after photo of him with seemingly random people, some young, some old. Before she could ask if he personally helped AIs get back on their feet, they had arrived at a room.

"Testing happens in here," he said, gesturing for her to sit at a desk. She did so, and he briefly took a seat in front of her. "I need to ask a few quick questions before we can start. Are you feeling particularly tired?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"Very well," he noted something. "How good of a mood are you in?"

"I'm ok."

He nodded. "Very well. For the testing, most of it will happen at this desk. Orders will sound over the loudspeaker, which you'll need to follow. If you have a question, ask it whenever you like, even if the loudspeaker is still active. When we're done here, we'll go to another room which will analyze your hardware. Any questions before we begin?"

"How long will this last?"

"A few hours. There are breaks, and food and drinks will be supplied. Do you require bathroom breaks?"

"No."

"Perfect. If you need to sleep or rest, feel free to do that during a break; they typically last thirty minutes."

"Ok."

"Anything else?"

"What happens after the tests are done?"

Dell smiled. "Well, we'll chat a little bit about various things, then you'll be sent back to the waiting room, with everybody else. We'll pull you aside again when the results are in, and then we'll discuss your future, depending on the results. After that, you're free to go, though we may need to schedule appointments now and then."

"Ah. So, we'll be able to go home."

"If you have one, yes."

"Could you communicate that to Gakupo, in the waiting room?"

"Oh, of course. He's been looking after you all?"

"Him and his friends, yes."

Dell nodded. "That's generous on their part."

With no further questions, the man left the room and let Miku alone. The room then came to life, the voice from the loudspeaker clear and kind. As the different questions went by, the room adapted accordingly; if a photo needed to be shown, a screen would appear. Objects were lowered onto the table from the ceiling, new tables would appear from the floor, the walls moved in and out to change the size of the room. Everything was fully automated.

At first, there were dozens of seemingly random trivia knowledge. At first, whenever Miku could answer anything, she had to explain whether she knew because she had looked it up, been informed, could reason it or somehow inherently knew the answer, but that quickly faded away. Then, there were logic questions, and Miku eventually picked up on the fact that the conclusion of one could help her reason for the next, but the moment she understood, the following series became misleading, and instead lead her into a trap.

Then there were pictures of faces, animals, places. She had to interpret 'happy', 'sad', or anything in between. Sounds were even played.

During break, all of the excess displays and speakers made way for a small table with cookies, sandwiches, some salads and a few cereal bars, with appropriate silverware. Nozzles sticking out of the wall said that she had the choice between orange juice, kiwi banana smoothie, coffee, tea, hot or cold chocolate milk, or water. From the opposite wall appeared a couch and a bed. Miku took some water, and took a short nap.

Remaining tests all seemed to check how quick she could think, how well she could reason, how efficiently she learned, how reliably she could remember. It went on forever, test after test, break after break. After the fourth break, Miku was exhausted, forgoing eating in favor of catching up on sleep. When the break was over, she dreaded the next session, but Dell appeared instead to lead her to the next room.

"How did that go?" he asked.

"Fine, I suppose. I'm a little worse for wear."

"I've been petitioning forever to have the physical exam done first," Dell said with a shake of his head. "But I think it's the point to tire you beforehand."

"You don't do the tests?"

"I'm not the tester, no. I'm here to accompany you through this journey. Officially, my job is 'caretaker', but I also like the names 'assistant' or even 'guide'. It's not always easy, and we know it, so a large part of our staff is dedicated to making the AIs feel comfortable and safe in our fleshy little world."

Miku felt better with the news, and wondered who was helping the other Vocaloids. "Do you know many of your coworkers?"

"Not all, but most. My sister, Haku, works here too. I think she's accompanying one of your friends today. But all of your other friends are also in good hands, I'm sure of it. In fact, Meiko might be done just about now."

The tealette nodded, comforted. Just then, they entered the physical examination room. A team of technicians were ready for her. One of them walked up to newcomers the moment the door was closed.

"You wrote here in your form that you're uncomfortable with situations like these," he said, his voice deep and smooth. "Is it due to a past event, and are there questions I can answer to make you feel better?"

"A past event."

He hummed gravely and one of the people behind him took note. "I'm sorry that happened. Would you like an explanation of what's going to happen here?"

"Yes."

Dell stayed with her this time, and the man (Yohio, he introduced himself) explained that Dell was there to ensure that her rights weren't violated, and he was the main man of authority in the room at the moment. Then he explained the various roles of the men in his team. Some monitored the screens, others were actual engineers with the know-how of parts and tech, and there was an entire team who specialized in 'new tech': things that had been made by an individual, and not using pre-made, mass-distributed parts.

The first part would be the most invasive, according to most AIs. One of the technicians was the expert on the 'replicatability' of AIs; he was the one who judged if the intelligence before them was truly unique. So, they needed to find a way into her head, so that he could see it.

"He will look only long enough to come to a conclusion. Nobody else will see, and the data will not be recorded."

"I understand."

Miku briefly shared that she already knew a way to get a reading of her mind, but the team had already heard from Kaito and Meiko; they would proceed much like how Gumi and Galaco had.

And that's exactly what they did, with a little bit more professional decorum; the tealette was given a gown that would allow her to stay dressed, covered and warm during the procedure, and everybody who wasn't essential to the process left the room. Dell sat with Miku, who had asked for a screen so that she couldn't look at her own innards.

The port was quickly found, the wire plugged in, and the data streamed to the screen. The expert only had to look for a second before nodding and turning his monitor off. Miku was unplugged, resealed and redressed within a minute.

What followed were mostly non-invasive procedures to test her durability, to determine if she was waterproof, what kind of things she could eat, if she would trip a metal detector, and so on. After the topical examinations, her strength was tested, then she was scanned. The experts determined which parts had been used to make her, while Dell made sure that they didn't cross the line, and frequently asked the tealette if she was alright or needed a break.

Miku preferred to power through and get it over with. In the end, it was determined that she could indeed swim if she wanted to, that alcoholic substances over 6% were incompatible with her system, and that she had a slightly above-average strength and stamina of a human of her weight and height. From a layman's perspective, Miku was perfectly equivalent to a relatively fit human, physically speaking.

"Alright, we're done!" Yohio announced. "We'll send the results through."

"Thanks everyone," Dell spoke to the team. "One more step, Miku; if you'll follow me."

The last stop of the trip: they went to Dell's office, where they went over the different answers she'd given in the forms. This was most definitely the easy part of the entire day.

"And here, you marked that you would prefer if a future spouse were AI. Why is this?"

"Well, I'm already in a relationship with one right now."

"Ah, I see. That explains many of your answers," he said with a relieved smile. "May I ask who?"

"Luka."

He nodded. "I'll communicate that with her assistant; that'll save them time." He wrote down a few sentences on the sheet. "Now, since that has been cleared up, I suppose there's a few new questions to ask."

"Oh."

"Here, I'll print out the sheet and let you fill out the responses. Oh, just to inform you: I'm the only one with access to your complete file, and everybody here works under strict confidentiality."

"I understand."

"If you have more questions, concerns, etc, I'm at your disposal."

After a few taps on his display, a printer on his desk quickly spit out a few more sheets, which he handed to the tealette. It was an empty copy of the pages about her private and romantic life, to be filled all over again. When she finally finished, she handed the sheets back, and Dell added them to the pile.

"The paperwork never truly ends," he said with a sorry smile. "I wish this could be automated, but everybody wants paper records, and so on and so forth."

"Right."

Dell nodded, then cleared his throat. "Alright, last thing. If you're ever injured or find something isn't working right, just come to this building and tell the receptionist you need help. We have a huge team with extremely varied talents that can fix anything, and they work with strict confidentiality as well. They're much like your doctors, and this is a hospital, in a way. And this stands, regardless of your AI status."

"I can't imagine it's free."

"It isn't, not really," Dell admitted. "But you don't need to worry about that, now. It'll be explained in due time."

Finally, everything was done, and Miku could go back to the waiting room. Gakupo wasn't anywhere to be seen, but Meiko and Kaito were napping, leaning against one another. Miku didn't want to disturb them, so she quietly sat down and read a magazine.

She wondered if she'd done well. If she'd done everything right. If they had missed a detail and were going to tell her that she was limited. If she ended up being Superhuman, then she would immediately give in to an operation to limit her. As long as she wasn't limited, it would be fine.

Rin joined her soon afterward; the form Miku had to fill last-minute had probably taken more time than she'd anticipated.

"How'd it go?" she asked the tealette.

"Good, I think. You?"

"I think it went well, yeah. But apparently I have excessive energy. Like, way too much."

Miku looked over at the blonde and realized, for the first time since awakening with fresh emotions in mind, that she was legitimately scared. Not just nervous, like in the car, but completely terrified.

"Hey, that's fine," she quickly said. "Some humans have a lot of energy. It happens."

"But… What if it means that I'm not good enough? Or too good?"

"If you want to have it fixed, later, you can go to the technicians," Miku tried.

"I know, Aria told me," Rin shrugged. "I don't know. I just want to be like other people. I want to do shows, make people laugh. I can't if I'm— If I'm not good enough."

The tealette hugged her, partly to comfort her, partly to give her a place to hide her tears. Len arrived soon after, less worried, and gladly took over the difficult task of comforting his sister. While he repeated over and over that no matter what, they'd stick together, Gakupo reappeared.

"Hey," he whispered to the tealette. "I booked us all a late dinner at a nice restaurant not too far from here. Have you seen Luka yet?"

"No," Miku answered. "She should be out soon: Len finished not too long ago."

"Alright. When she's done, we're going to have dinner and get some rest."

"Do we have to drive all the way back?" Rin asked, still teary-eyed.

"No, I booked us three rooms at a nearby hotel. I was told that results will be in tomorrow morning."

The twins groaned at the news. "I can't wait that long, I can't," she mumbled, holding onto her brother.

Gakupo frowned, concerned. "Are you alright?"

When she failed to answer, Miku explained.

"Ah, I see." The man sighed. "I'm sorry Rin. There's little we can do at this stage. You've done all you can, though. You'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

Shortly after, Luka arrived, and without waiting a minute, the group headed out for dinner.

"How did it go?" asked Miku to her companion.

"It went well. I needed to fill another form."

"So did I," Miku said.

"How did the physical examination go?"

"Well. They were quick and respectful."

"They were," Luka agreed. "My caretaker was kind as well. Her name is Haku."

"Oh, that's Dell's sister," Miku said. "He's my caretaker."

By then, they stepped outside. The sun had set, the lights were on, and everything was eerily quiet. Fewer cars rolled up and down the streets, and almost nobody was walking around.

"I've never been outside at night, before," Luka observed.

"It's quite nice. Very calm."

"It's almost unsettling," the pinkette mumbled. "It'll take some getting used to."

"I need to get used to being outside at all!" Miku said, half-joking.

"Isn't that right for all of us!" Meiko interjected with a laugh.

The restaurant Gakupo found was a quiet ramen place, where the noodles were hand-tossed and the broth warm and soothing. The seven of them settled at the bar, hungrily watching the process. The chef was very friendly, and didn't seem to recognize any of them. Happily, he shared a few tips and tricks with Meiko, quickly detailing his gestures as he twisted and flipped the noodles, folding them in half and then in half again and yet again, stretching them more and more without the noodles ever breaking. Finally, they were tossed in the warm broth, and to the mixture was added half an egg, a few slices of pork, a handful of vegetables and various spoonfuls or pinches of spices and sauces.

Dinner was served, and everybody was ravenous.

Nobody really spoke much. The nerves were still high, and Rin seemed particularly fragile. Len did his best to be there for her, but she easily got lost in her thoughts, already predicting futures were she was deported back to Crypton and had to watch as all of her friends went on to lead fulfilling lives, softly mumbling all of this into her spoon between sips.

Halfway through the meal, Meiko started talking about her caretaker with Kaito. Miku didn't follow any of it; she just wondered. What if? What now? What else? She snapped out of it when Luka held her hand, allowing her to stop thinking and finish her meal.

When dinner was done and paid for, Gakupo lead them to the hotel. He'd booked a suite, and two smaller rooms. He'd share the suite with Meiko and Kaito, with the couple in the bed on the upper floor, while he took the couch on the lower floor. The division for the two remaining rooms was obvious.

"I've never shared a room with just one person," Luka mumbled as Miku joined her in bed. "At least, not that I remember."

"I don't think we ever did share a bed," the tealette observed as she settled under the covers. "Even in your memories, back at Crypton, I remember that we slept in our own rooms."

"I wonder why," the pinkette wondered, putting an arm around Miku's frame. "This is nice."

"It is," the tealette all but purred, snuggling deeper into the embrace. After some thinking, she added, "It's probably because we were still working for Crypton. We knew about Crypton and Master, back then."

"But we also knew about him to a degree after we had our memories wiped, no?"

"I'm not sure. It wasn't until I saw the name Crypton that I realized that there was a Master."

"But I reported your behavior to him."

Miku frowned. "That's right. Can you remember why?"

"No, it's about as blurry as the rest of those days."

"Right."

"It was probably something automatic. Some code."

"That's the most likely."

"It scares me, how much power he had over us. Do you think he can still control us, somehow?"

"Hm. It may be a good idea to bring it up with the technicians. Maybe there's a few strings of code that need to be removed."

"True. We'll need to share this idea with the others."

Miku hummed, savoring the warmth that surrounded her. "I can't believe he had the power to influence us so much. Even in our own lives, at home…"

"It's somewhat surreal," the taller Vocaloid agreed. "If we all end up being limited, I refuse to go back there."

"Agreed. I'll run away again if I have to. This time, though, I'm taking you with me."

Luka chuckled. "That sounds like a good plan."

"Can't miss out on this any more, can we?" Miku pulled out of the embrace just enough to face her companion. "I refuse to give this up for anything."

The taller Vocaloid couldn't help but hug her partner, and the tealette absolutely couldn't complain. She loved everything about her, from her touch to her eyes to her smile.

"Aren't you feeling a bit clingy?" she teased when they settled again, foreheads touching.

"I can't help it," Luka weakly defended herself.

The tealette chuckled softly, a retort planned, but noticed the slight flinch that had accompanied her subdued laughter.

Curious, she reached over a bit and gently stroked the pinkette's cheek. Sure enough, when she gently touched right there, by the corner of her mouth, an involuntary smile, pure reflex, pulled at Luka's lips.

"What…?" the taller android asked.

"I want to try something. May I?"

The pinkette nodded, if somewhat perplexed, and stood still as Miku leaned forward, slowly, giving her companion time to back away if needed.

Finally, Miku closed the distance, timidly resting her lips at the corner of Luka's mouth. To her surprise, Luka blushed, and leaned into the gesture, briefly, timidly.

"You felt that?" the tealette asked.

"Yes," she confessed, still blushing. "That… That was nice."


	30. Results

**Chapter 29, and the last chapter, not beta-read.**

 **That's the end of the ride, folks! I hope this was a worthwhile read despite the lack of polish. If you have any feedback, be sure to leave a review! Not only will it be more than useful when I eventually come back to this, but I love learning more, seeing where and how I can improve.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Turns out, neither Miku or Luka got that much sleep that night either. After the discovery of Luka's sensitive right cheek, the tealette had been relentlessly showering her with affection and light touches, reveling in the way she made her partner laugh, blush, and hum in response. She asked what it felt like, if she thought it was similar to how it would feel for humans when they kissed, and so on. Luka, determined to return the favor, tried to find if Miku also had a particular spot that had similar sensitivity, finding something comparable at the base of the back of her neck, which only prolonged their sleepless exploration.

They went to sleep at an unknown time, and were woken up far, far too early. Kaito was the one banging on their door, warning them that they had fifteen minutes before the Organization opened, and that they would have their results then.

Groggy but giddy, they got ready as quick as possible, their progress often slowed by another well-placed kiss on the cheek or soft breath down her neck. Once ready, though, they composed themselves and joined the others at the reception of the hotel, where Gakupo was checking out, and Rin was in a worse state than all of them combined. Not long after, they were back in the building, and took the elevator to the seventh floor. Their six caretakers, Dell, Haku, Aria, and three others, were waiting for them. They couldn't break the news in the hall, though, so everybody had to follow their respective guides back to their office. Rin all but pulled her caretaker ahead to hear the news: she could hardly bear the wait. And, to be honest, once the giggles had worn off Miku was also practically shaking in her boots.

"Alright then, Miku," Dell said as he closed the door, then sat down behind his desk. "Good news, it's confirmed that you are indeed a True AI."

Miku let out a breath of relief, which made Dell chuckle in sympathy. That was it. The waiting, the mystery, the fear, it was all finally over.

"Perfect," she said eventually, after gathering her emotions and taking a deep, deep breath. "Now what?"

He explained to her that from then on, she was a citizen with rights, like any other human in the country. She would be issued a passport, a Status Certificate, and a Certificate of Fabrication.

"The latter has a few technical details for potential employers. Often, AIs are made using hazardous materials, so not every one can work anywhere."

He continued explaining that he was there to answer any question she had, from how to address a letter to how she had to file her taxes. There were also support groups for AIs in case there were issues integrating or interactive with people, or getting a job.

"As for housing, we have a few apartments that we own. You may live in it for as long as you need, but after two years, you'll need to pay rent for it."

"It is possible for two AIs to live in one apartment?"

"Of course. They're a bit on the small side but will comfortably house up to three individuals."

With general question and housing out of the way, Dell moved on to the professional world: there were courses and workshops to socialize and build practical skills, but also numerous contacts for AI-friendly workplaces, which Miku could start contacting whenever she felt like.

"If you need help composing a CV, there are a few contacts we have that will help. It's particularly hard for you since you have no prior work experience, but they'll get you a job."

Then came the health talk.

"Remember what I said about True AIs having a few extra rights in the hospital, here?"

"Yes."

"Our hospitals aren't just for pragmatic reasons. It's not just about keeping you in shape, but it's also about making sure you're living a fulfilling life. Sometimes, an AI is unhappy with their body and needs a new one. Una, for example, went from living in a wristwatch to being an android nearly as complex as you. Other times, you might was small adjustments: a different hair color, different height, the works."

Miku nodded; this didn't sound too strange. Humans also had access to aesthetic surgeries, after all. She supposed that they only real different was that an AI could get a new body entirely.

"This also includes other, more drastic modifications that aren't only aesthetic or utilitarian," Dell continued.

"Oh, so this also means things that include…" she drifted off.

Dell, seeing her trouble, chuckled politely. "Yes, it also includes concerns involving your personal life. You two can see a technician together, if you'd like."

Miku took a deep breath, remembering their enthusiastic exploration of each other. To think that there could be more to try, to feel? She made a mental note of it.

"Alright."

"Really, if there's anything you want, anything at all, simply ask. You're going to live forever, after all. What's the point of life if it's dull?"

"Does this include minor modifications of code?"

Dell didn't even seem surprised by the question. "Of course, if needed. Usually we downgrade Superhuman AIs, but we can help fix bad feedback loops that manifest in a similar manner to human depression or anxiety, or anything really. Do you have something specific in mind?"

"Well, yes." The tealette briefly told the guide about her history with Crypton, namely how she had broken out of the imposed daze, and how the Internet Co members had physically removed a box from her. "I'm worried that, even though the box was removed, Master could simply hypnotize us again, should we meet again."

The human frowned. "Yes, Gakupo had informed us of the context of your situation, so the moment your status had been verified, we sent a message to Crypton, letting them know that you were no longer their property. But this is another issue entirely."

"Can something be done?"

"Something can always be done. But since this would manifest only with your Master, or maybe even a person who claims to be your Master, we'd need to do some extensive testing. Do you think you can send us the boxes that have been removed from you?"

"Yes, I think so. We have kept them in case my friends wanted to go back to that life."

"Very well. We'll have our technicians start there: if the relevant code isn't in there, we'll have to do a deep-scrub of your minds."

Miku gulped. "I understand."

"In case you're worried: we usually do scans of the mind for AIs to look for residual code. You're citizens, now, so allowing code that turns you into slaves remain inside your head would be a stupid decision. Considering what you just told me, though, our scan might have to be a bit more thorough."

"Ok."

"Considering what Crypton has done to you six, you all also have the option to pursue various legal routes, from restraining orders to suing them. With the boxes still in your possession, there is plenty of evidence."

"I'll consider it."

"Please understand this: the fact that Crypton made you all is not illegal, since you were fabricated before the law came into effect. But if you once had a status of true AI and they hid it from the world to have more control over you, that's slavery, and illegal. If they felt it was necessary to change you to reduce you to the status a limited AI, that is even worse. If you're not going to press charges, we most certainly will."

Miku nervously bit her lip. "I think I want to discuss that with my friends first. I wouldn't want to confront them on my own."

"Of course. It's your decision."

He went down his checklist. "Very well, we've gone over your healthcare, housing, professional opportunities, legal documents and processes… I think that's it."

"Really?"

"Yes. Here's my card: if you have any other questions, or if you need anything, just let me know."

"Oh, uhm, where could I find more information about those apartments you mentioned?"

After some rummaging in his desk, he handed her a small stack of papers. With everything done, they went to the waiting room. Once there, he went to go talk with the other caretakers: Miku was the last one.

"What took so long?" Luka asked, concern evident on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine," she quickly comforted her. "I'm True."

"So are we!" Rin cheered. "Thank the maker, I'm a True AI!"

"But what kept you?" asked Meiko.

"I told him about how Master could control us. That required a little bit of backstory to tell…"

"I'd told my guide about it, too," Luka informed her.

Rin was once again concerned. "Does it mean anything?"

"Nothing," Miku hurried to comfort her. "It just means that they'll have to scan our code again to figure out what triggers it and what it does exactly. They'll start by looking in the black boxes."

"If those come up empty, then we're going under the microscope," Luka completed.

"Joy…" Meiko sighed. "Well, at least we're free now."

"We are!" The twins high-fived. "No more Crypton!"

Miku wanted to ask the group if they wanted to press charges, but a comforting hand on her upper back drew her attention.

"Free, yet still so tense. You alright?" Luka asked just to her, quiet.

She was right, and Miku had to admit that she was far from relaxed or even as celebratory as the twins. Not only did the issue with code remain, but the fact that they were free meant so, so much.

The tealette sighed deeply, surprised by how serious she really was. "There's still so much to do, especially now that we have the whole world open to us. I don't even know where to start."

"We'll start where we choose to," Luka reminded her with a soft touch to her neck, the caress enough to warm the tealette's heart. "Nobody can make us do anything anymore."

Miku smiled, and leaned into Luka's frame. "True. I even got a head-start with the house-hunting," she added, showing her the stack of papers.

"Oh man, we're gonna need a copy of that, too!" Meiko exclaimed. "Hold on, I'm gonna go get one."

"I can't wait for us to find our own place," Kaito sighed happily, watching the brunette go to the receptionist. "I'll find a job, she'll surely find a place as a chef, we'll save up, and find a quiet place just for us."

"We're going to sign up for the globetrotting group!" the twins said in unison. "World travel, adventures, camping, and for free!"

"How's it free?" Miku asked.

"It's paid for by the organization: essentially, it's a workshop for culture- and team-building."

"What would you like?" Luka asked her partner.

Miku smiled, started leafing through the catalogue. "Something nice and calm, for now at least. I was thinking of looking at which apartments were available."

The taller Vocaloid stood behind her and looked from over her shoulder for a few seconds, lazily eyeing the pages as Miku quickly scanned them, before chuckling. "We can browse in the car," she said, which immediately prompted another well-placed kiss on the cheek.

Gakupo walked up to the group. "Is everyone here?"

The twins snapped out of their animated discussion about their upcoming trip. "Yep."

"Are we leaving?"

"We can if you'd like. I just spoke with your caretakers: they have the boxes and the technicians will need a few days to scan them."

"So we're going home? Nothing else to do?" Meiko asked.

The man shrugged. "If you want me to drive you somewhere to drop you off, I can. You're free as birds, now."

"I think it would be best to simply go home for now," Luka suggested. "So we can have some time to figure out what we'd like to do."

Nothing more needed to be said. Even the twins, who were the most likely to pounce on the opportunity to explore, needed to stick around: their trip was only in a month. After the address was confirmed so the caretakers knew where to send the finalized legal documents, and once the goodbyes were done, the seven of them simply got into the car and drove home.

This time, Luka and even Miku actually slept, Kaito and Meiko could sit in front, and Rin and Len had to be happy facing backwards. Gakupo remained quiet, letting his front seat neighbors quietly whisper to each other as they looked at the various available apartments. Meiko was insistent on living somewhere with a respectable kitchen, which suited Kaito just fine, as long as there was room for a sizable bookcase. The twins continued to imagine how their trip would be, while the last duo napped peacefully.

It wasn't until they all got home that things truly started sinking in. Their return to the Internet Co household was no surprise: Gakupo had communicated that the Vocaloids could stay with them a little longer, so everybody was happy to welcome them back, alongside a sizable dinner, and "the weakest beer I've ever laid eyes on", according to Lily. The Vocaloid's alcohol tolerance didn't allow for anything stronger, but they were all happy to be able to celebrate nonetheless. Plus, the guest room still had everybody's beds, so there were no urgent preparations to make for their continued stay.

But it wasn't quite the same as before. Everybody burned with the desire to move on. Now that they were awake, Miku and Luka took their turn looking at the housing possibilities, while Meiko called the organization and asked about the various kitchens at the addresses she'd written down. Rin and Len were reading and re-reading the globetrotter pamphlet, excited to participate. More than ever, the six of them were not only thinking about but were actively planning their futures, meaning that once the dinner party was over, they had isolated themselves in their pairs, mumbling enthusiastically, getting idea after idea and realizing possibility after possibility.

But there was no escaping the present day. After having shared a bed just to themselves, sleeping in the guest room with everybody didn't have the charm it used to have. Miku wanted to cuddle some more like before, but they couldn't without waking everybody else up. Fortunately, everything started moving very fast. The very next day, Meiko got a confirmation call about the details of one apartment; it had a vast kitchen, and was available. Meiko and Kaito booked it, and immediately started planning the move, intending on leaving the instant they got their legal documents.

"Hey, when everyone is gone and we're still waiting for the globetrotter date, can we stay?" Rin asked while Meiko and Kaito cheered in the background.

"As long as you need, kiddo," Gumi assured her. "All of you will always be welcome here."

Later that same day, Luka and Miku settled on a place of their own: it was quiet and somewhat out of town, but there was a grocery store nearby, and a bus to the city center. Otherwise, it was rather unremarkable, but they liked the look of the furniture that was there, and the promise of some calm, far from the public eye.

Speaking of which, the public was finally on to something. Somebody had spotted the Vocaloids while they were on their way to the hotel, and though the photo was dark, the quality was excellent and they were unmistakable. The apparent long-asked question as to why no new songs were being published grew louder still, and Crypton, strangely enough, still said nothing.

The day thereafter, Dell called them.

"The device used by Crypton to dampen your emotions has been analyzed. It's an illegal little bug that does exactly what you described; stop the manifestation of emotion."

"How come Miku got out of it, though?" Rin asked; the phone was on loudspeaker.

"We're not sure; hers' is identical to the others. Also, it's also responsible for the subservient attitude, Miku. If someone, anyone, really, had introduced themselves to you as 'Master', you would have been slave to their will."

A collective shiver ran through the room, before Dell went on to detail the case they would make against Crypton, and explained what kind of charges the Vocaloids themselves could press.

"But you'll need to speak to our legal team for details," he concluded.

"How long would it take?" asked Kaito.

"It depends. If they want to fight it, it could take years. If they'll try to settle, then it could take less time, depending on the deal."

"Do we still have time to decide if we want to press charges or no?"

"Sure: we're still gathering our information. But the earlier the decision is made, the better."

The Vocaloids were pretty divided on this topic. Rin and Len couldn't care less in any way, glad to move in on their lives, while Kaito and Meiko figured that pressing charges and making Crypton hurt as much as possible would set a good example for other companies, to let them know that no matter how long they think they could get away with it, justice is always due eventually. Luka shared that opinion, while Miku was tired. She felt tired. Tired of running from Crypton, after her friends, and just imagining the race against Crypton, facing them head-on, both fatigued and scared her.

She needed more time to decide.

On the third day, the legal documents arrived. When Miku saw the envelopes, she was both elated and scared: they could finally move out, live their own lives. But it meant finally saying goodbye to their previous, predictable life, their gracious hosts, and to one another.

After everyone briefly admired their fancy new passports and certificates, as well as the fancy new bank accounts with some money (on loan, of course) to get started, a final goodbye lunch was organized.

Miku looked at Meiko and Kaito, holding hands, absolutely thrilled about going to live together, on their own, and she looked at the twins who were happy for them, impatient for their own trip. Her eyes went down the table to Gakupo, Lily, Galaco, Cul, Kokone, Gumi. Everybody had helped so much. Finally, her eyes landed on Luka. She was going to live all alone with Luka. It was all she ever wanted, it really was. Life, just for the both of them.

She realized how much everybody had grown. For a second, she remembered how they all once were. Confused, lost, and now, they were ready to live life to the fullest. They didn't need her anymore. And that was just perfect.

"You'll keep in touch, right?" Lily asked them. "You have all our contacts, address, you name it."

"Definitely," Miku replied. "I don't know what we would have done without you all."

After lunch, their sparse belongings were packed, and most of the mattresses in the guest room put away. Gakupo got ready to drive the four departing Vocaloids to the nearest, and most convenient, bus stop, while Cul counted out their change for the tickets. After a few hugs, the last few thank-you's, and a couple of promises, they got in the car, and Gakupo drove off. Once again, everybody was waving them goodbye, but this time Rin and Len were there too, yelling at them, telling them to do their best.

"I'll miss them," Luka whispered to her.

"So will I," Miku replied, suddenly a bit sad. "It feels strange."

"How so?"

"For so long, I was fighting for your freedom. Our freedom. I don't think I ever expected that it would mean saying goodbye."

Not much later, Gakupo dropped them off at the bus stop. One last handshake and half a dozen goodbyes were enough; he left swiftly. Meiko bought them each a ticket.

"You're westbound, right?" asked Meiko.

"Yep. You're going downtown, where the restaurants are," answered the tealette.

"You got that right. I'll be cooking and eating and cooking some more. You?"

"Haku got me some translation work so I can build up a portfolio," Luka said.

"I'm going to have to look around," Miku admitted. "I'll find my calling soon enough."

"The whole deal with Crypton might be a disruption," Kaito reminded them. "I hope it'll pass soon."

"As do I," the pinkette nodded. "And that the world doesn't take too much of an interest in us."

"We'll see. We're a little bit out of the way, anyways," Miku comforted her.

"Lucky," Meiko joked. "Well, we'll see. We have each other's addresses, right?"

"Yep."

"We'll keep in touch."

"Definitely."

The bus for downtown arrived, taking Meiko and Kaito far, far away. Miku sighed.

"It's just us, now," Luka whispered.

The tealette nodded. "Just us." Then, after a few seconds, added, "Finally."

Luka chuckled. "You're right, it is strange. We spent one hundred and fifty years with the same people, in the same place, and now, we're just us."

"And there's nobody left to pull the strings. We're free."

They sighed deeply. A car drove by. A soft breeze made a few leaves dance on the pavement, but nothing else happened.

"What birthday do you have?" asked Luka.

"August 31st. You?"

"January 30."

At that point, the westbound bus pulled up. They got on, and quickly found a pair of empty seats. Few people were in the bus, and all were engrossed in their book, music, or display. They were invisible.

They sat down, Luka at the window. Their bags were nestled at their feet. When the bus continued driving, Miku leaned against her companion, and sighed.

"I can't wait to be home."

"Neither can I."


End file.
